FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball hosts Marist on Wednesday evening in a meeting of two of the top teams in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) standings. First serve from George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall is slated for 7 p.m. with all of the action set to broadcast live on the Stags Sports Network.
 
Fairfield (17-6, 12-0 MAAC) most recently earned its 13th consecutive victory with a 3-0 sweep of Quinnipiac this past Friday in Hamden. The Stags were powered by a double-double performance from Skyler Day, who led all players with 15 kills and added 10 digs to the defensive effort. Kaitlyn Fisher was a force on the opposite side, slamming 13 kills on .632 hitting (13-1-19). Megan Theiller was the third Stag in double figures with 10 kills in the sweep of the Bobcats, with Manuela Nicolini distributing 42 assists to operate the Fairfield attack at a .364 hitting percentage. On the defensive end, Taylor Rudeen led the effort from the libero spot with a match-high 16 digs.
 
Fairfield's 12-0 tally in the MAAC extended their winning streak against MAAC opponents (including postseason) to 43 consecutive victories – the longest active streak in the nation. The Stags can clinch a first-round bye in the upcoming MAAC Championship with a victory over the Red Foxes on Wednesday night and need three wins in their final six regular season outings to lock up at least a share of their 17th MAAC regular season title since 1996.
 
Fairfield vs. Marist
Wednesday, Nov. 1 @ 7 p.m.
George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall
Stags Sports Network | Live Stats
 
After splitting a home weekend with a loss to Rider followed by a sweep of Saint Peter's, the Marist Red Foxes will come to Alumni Hall with a record of 12-12 overall and a third-place tally of 9-4 in the MAAC. Marist will be playing outside of their home state for the final time in the regular season, as the club has a home weekend against Canisius and Niagara followed by trips to Iona and Manhattan remaining on their 2017 slate.
 
Nikki DeSerpa leads Marist and ranks fourth in the MAAC with 3.08 kills per set, while Taylor van der Biezen manages the offense and slots fourth in the conference at 8.80 assists per frame. Van der Biezen also contributes the scoring from behind the service line, where she ranks third in the MAAC with 0.42 aces per set (36 total). Defensively, the Red Foxes boast the two most prolific blockers in the conference in Ashton Korona (1.06 blocks per set) and Stephanie Stone (1.03), and libero Katie Brierly slots seventh in digs at 3.47 per stanza.
 
As a unit, the Red Foxes are hitting .174 with opponents swinging at a .193 rate. On the defensive front, Marist tops the MAAC with 2.06 blocks per set.
 
The Stags swept Marist in Poughkeepsie on Oct. 14 behind a defensive effort that kept the Red Foxes at .000 hitting percentage. Theiller had 18 digs and Rudeen posted 16 to lead that charge, while Day paced the offense with 11 kills as one of seven Stags to record a finisher. Marist was led by eight kills from Megan Fergus on the right side.
 
Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night
Fairfield Volleyball will celebrate Faculty & Staff Appreciation Night at Wednesday's match. All Fairfield faculty and staff are invited to attend. The Stags' student-athletes will extend a special invitation to the faculty and staff members that have had a strong positive impact to their Fairfield experience, with those individuals being recognized in a special presentation during the intermission.
 
Up Next
The Stags play their final two road contests of the regular season this weekend with trips to MAAC Volleyball's New Jersey contingent. Fairfield challenges Saint Peter's in Jersey City on Saturday, Nov. 4 at 1 p.m. then heads to Lawrenceville to meet Rider on Sunday, Nov. 5 at noon. The Stags swept the Peacocks and took a 3-1 decision over the Broncs at Alumni Hall in September.
 
Action returns to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall next Wednesday, Nov. 8 for a 7 p.m. visit from Siena. The Stags will then cap the regular season at home with weekend contests against Niagara and Canisius. All three matches are set to broadcast live on the Stags Sports Network.