FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball swept visiting Marist on Saturday to advance to the 2017 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championship Match. The top-seeded Stags will play third-seeded Iona for the MAAC Championship on Sunday at 2 p.m. on George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall. Fairfield is in search of its third consecutive MAAC Championship and its 10th overall since 1997.
 
In this afternoon's semifinal, Fairfield (24-6) also earns its 20th consecutive victory, marking the fifth 20-match winning streak in program history. In addition, the Stags' 50th straight win over MAAC competition is a new conference record, breaking the mark of 49 set by Fairfield from 1997-2001 during its run of five consecutive MAAC Championships.
 
The Stags took today's match over the Red Foxes by set scores of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-15. The first two sets of the contest featured 20 ties and seven lead changes, including the Stags erasing a 20-16 deficit in the second frame. Fairfield then led wire-to-wire in the third set to complete the sweep.
 
"Tournament play is all about 'survive and advance' and we did just enough to do that today," said Head Coach Todd Kress, a six-time MAAC Coach of the Year after earning the accolade once again this fall. "That 9-2 run at the end of the second set was the pivotal part of the match, and I think that run gave us the boost we needed to finish the match strong. We were definitely tight in the first two sets, but we still found a way to win and then played looser volleyball in the third set. I think we now understand the difference and will be able to come out with a better mindset and approach tomorrow to play for a championship."
 
The Stags were fueled on the outside by double-double performances from Skyler Day and Megan Theiller. Day – the two-time reigning MAAC Player of the Year – led all players with 12 kills and added 12 digs to the defensive effort. Second Team All-MAAC honoree Theiller added 10 kills and 11 digs.
 
Fairfield's pair of All-Rookie Team middles delivered both offensively and defensively this afternoon. Luci Albertson slammed 10 kills on .533 hitting with six blocks, and Kaylie Butts contributed five kills and four blocks.
 
"I can't say enough about Luci and Kaylie. Obviously, they're a big part of what got us here and will have to be a big part of getting us through tomorrow," commented Kress about his freshman duo.
 
On the right side, Kaitlyn Fisher added nine kills on .312 hitting, including a pair of crucial finishers in the final points of the opening set. Rounding out the attack, Manuela Nicolini dropped in two kills from the setter spot, and Sonja Radulovic sent one home from the back row.
 
Nicolini engineered the attack to a .264 hitting percentage, doling out 45 assists. The MAAC Setter of the Year and First Team All-MAAC selection also aided the blocking efforts at the net with six rejections.
 
The Stags totaled 10 blocks as a team, reaching double figures for the fifth time this fall, and for just the second time in a three-set match. Fairfield's defensive performance in the back row was led by 16 digs from Taylor Rudeen, 12 from Day, 11 from Theiller and 10 by Radulovic. All told, the Stags' defense held Marist to a .106 hitting percentage.
 
To cap the scoring, four Stags landed one ace apiece – Nicolini, Rudeen, Theiller and Jamie Calandro, who came off the bench with set one tied and 20-20 and served up the ace that staked Fairfield to the lead for the final time in the stanza.
 
Marist (15-16), who reached the semifinals by erasing a 2-0 deficit against Rider last night, got seven kills on the outside from Nikki DeSerpa to lead the attack. Taylor Van Der Biezen managed the offense and finished with 26 assists, and libero Katie Brierley led all players with 17 digs.
 
Tomorrow afternoon, Fairfield will play in the MAAC Championship Match for the 18th time in program history. Iona will be on the other side of the net after holding off sixth-seeded Quinnipiac for a 3-2 decision on Friday and sweeping second-seeded Niagara this afternoon at Alumni Hall.
 
The Stags swept the home-and-home series from the Gaels during the regular season, taking a 3-2 win in New Rochelle on Sept. 16 and sweeping the return match at Alumni Hall on Oct. 22. Iona is 16-17 overall this season and finished at 11-7 in the MAAC.
 
"We'll prepare the way we always do and go about the same gameday routine tomorrow," said Kress. "Hopefully we can come out in a little different headspace and take advantage of playing in front of our home crowd at Alumni Hall."
 
First serve in the 2017 MAAC Championship Match is slated for 2 p.m. Click here to purchase tickets. All Fairfield University students will receive free admission with a valid StagCard.
 
All of the action will be broadcast live on ESPN3 in a joint production of the Stags Sports Network and the Fairfield University Media Center.