CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. – Fairfield University Volleyball fought off a match point to rally from a 2-1 deficit and knock off Alabama Birmingham (UAB) to open Saturday action at the Boston College Invitational. The Stags were clipped in straight sets by Providence to finish the weekend at 2-1.
 
In Friday action at the season-opening tournament, the Stags defeated host Boston College, 3-0, to earn the program's first-ever road win at an Atlantic Coast Conference opponent.
 
"Overall it was solid opening weekend for us. The UAB match took a total team effort, and I was very proud of our determination to finish," said Head Coach Todd Kress.
 
"Going 2-1 with Megan [Theiller] out is a good step for us," Kress continued. "We talked this weekend about adversity not building character, but that adversity reveals one's character. I can say wholeheartedly that this group will not back down from a challenger the remainder of the season. This weekend went a long way in revealing that."
 
Skyler Day had a career-best 25 kills in the win over UAB and followed up that showing with 22 finishers against Providence. Manuela Nicolini also set a new personal standard with 53 assists in the win over the Blazers, and Taylor Rudeen established a career high in the back row with 32 digs.
 
Mayda Garcia posted a new career high in kills for the second consecutive day with 14 against UAB. Kaylie Butts added seven finishers to the attack against the Blazers, and Kaitlyn Fisher sent home five. Rounding out the attack, the quarter of Luci Albertson, Nora Quinn, Sonja Radulovic and Sydney Williams each posted three kills.
 
In addition to Rudeen's career day in the back row, Radulovic picked up a career-best 20 digs, and Day contributed 12 to complete her second double-double of the weekend. Nicolini was just shy of joining her with nine digs to go along with her 53 assists.
 
At the net, Butts had a hand in five of the Stags' six blocks and Nicolini was a part of four send-backs.
 
In the evening session against Providence, Day's 22 kills led the way once again. Garcia added seven more to cap her strong offensive weekend, with Butts and Nicolini each hammering down four kills. Fisher landed three, Quinn had two and Radulovic posted one finisher to supplement the attack. Nicolini distributed 28 assists while managing the offense.
 
In the back row, Rudeen headed the effort with 12 digs. Radulovic added 11, and Jamie Calandro recorded a career-best 10 digs. Up front, Butts recorded three more blocks and Nicolini was a part of two rejections.
 
Fairfield 3, UAB 2 (17-25, 25-16, 19-25, 26-24, 15-13)
In the day's first match, the Stags found themselves playing from behind for the first time on the young season after dropping the opening set to UAB, 25-17. Fairfield responded in the second frame with a 6-1 run to open the stanza and never looked back.  The Stags led by as many as 10 points en route to a 25-16 win to knot the match at 1-1.
 
Fairfield's momentum did not carry over to the pivotal third set, as this time it was the Blazers jumping out to an early lead. UAB built an 8-3 cushion to start the frame and held off the Stags the rest of the way to take a 25-19 decision and a 2-1 edge in the match.
 
The Stags resumed their post as the aggressor to begin set four, but the Blazers erased the early deficit and eventually took the lead at 24-23 to earn a match-point opportunity. However, a kill from Day squashed the chance and started Fairfield on a 3-0 spurt to take the set by a 26-24 count and force a deciding fifth set.
 
It appeared that Fairfield would continue to roll through the final stanza, constructing an 11-5 lead over the Blazers. But UAB came out on top of eight of the next 10 rallies to tie the set for the fourth and final time at 13-13. At that point, back-to-back kills from Garcia and Day completed the comeback as the Stags came away with a 15-13 win.
 
With the win, Fairfield Volleyball began a season at 2-0 for the first time since 2006. The Stags have also won their last five five-set matches dating back to the 2015 campaign.
 
Providence 3, Fairfield 0 (25-19, 28-26, 25-21)
The Stags set the pace early in the opening set en route to a 4-1 lead, but a 6-1 stretch by the Friars staked them to a 9-6 advantage that they would not relinquish. The Stags did not allow another extended run in the set, but never pieced together more than two consecutive points to trim the margin, ultimately falling by a score of 25-19.
 
Both teams went on several runs in the second frame, with the tally eventually settling at a 21-21 deadlock. Fairfield fought off one set point but was unable to cash in on two of their own before Providence broke the stanza's seventh and final tie to claim a 28-26 decision.
 
The Stags erased an early 5-1 deficit in set three, knotting the frame at 7-7, but the Friars would not allow another Fairfield run as they steadily constructed a 19-12 lead. A final push closed the gap to two points at 20-18, but Providence maintained its edge to take a 25-21 win and earn the 3-0 victory in the match.
 
The Stags return to the court next weekend for three matches in Chicago at the Rambler Challenge. In addition to the hosts from Loyola Chicago, Fairfield will meet Milwaukee and Samford in the Windy City.