FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) portion of the 2018 schedule begins this weekend for Fairfield University Volleyball as the Stags hit the road to challenge the conference's New Jersey contingent. Fairfield visits Saint Peter's in Jersey City on Saturday before taking the 50-mile jaunt to Lawrenceville to meet Rider on Sunday. First serve for both matches is slated for 1 p.m.
 
The Stags start the conference ledger with an overall record of 1-8. Fairfield most recently hosted the annual Fairfield Invitational, challenging Michigan State, Harvard and Northeastern. Mayda Garcia was tabbed for the All-Tournament Team and earned MAAC Player of the Week laurels after leading all players at the tournament with 4.64 kills and 4.91 points per set for the Stags.
 
As a team, Fairfield enters conference play ranked third in the MAAC in both kills (11.77 per set) and assists (11.23 per set) and eighth in hitting percentage (.122). On the defensive end, the Stags are second in opponent hitting percentage (.200), third in digs (14.73 per set) and fifth in blocks (1.67 per set).
 
Individual leaders include Garcia and Laura Seeger, who rate third and fourth in the MAAC in kills with 3.16 and 2.92 per set, respectively. Seeger is also ranked 10th in the conference in hitting percentage with a .257 efficiency. Alexis Rich has piloted the attack with 9.43 assists per frame, good for second in the MAAC. Defensively, Luci Albertson ranks third in blocks with 0.92 per frame and Sydney Williams is eighth at 0.79 rejections per set. From the libero spot, Taylor Rudeen slots fifth in digs with 4.20 per stanza.
 
The Stags have won three consecutive MAAC Championships under Head Coach Todd Kress and five of the last six overall (2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2017). Fairfield's 2017 crown was their conference-record 10th title dating back to 1997.
 
Stags at Saint Peter's
Saturday, Sept. 15 @ 1 PM
Yanitelli Center, Jersey City, N.J.
Watch | Live Stats
 
Looking to slow an eight-match losing streak, Saint Peter's begins the conference schedule this Saturday with a record of 2-12 overall. The Peacocks most recently traveled to Denver the past weekend, falling in straight sets to Idaho State, host Denver and Fairleigh Dickinson. Saint Peter's was tabbed for 10th in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after a winless campaign in 2017.
 
The Peacocks are led offensively by Alanis Alvarado, who ranks sixth in the MAAC with 2.80 kills per set, and 1.53 kills per frame on an efficient .276 hitting percentage from Alexus Sharp – good for eighth in the conference. Wildalys Soto has dished out 7.31 assists per frame while managing the attack to a .144 hitting percentage.
 
At the net, Natalia Carbonell Torres has piled up a team-best 33 total blocks, while Karla Seda leads the back row with 3.62 digs per set.
 
The Stags and Peacocks have not played any common opponents to date in 2018.
 
Fairfield owns a 42-10 lead in the all-time series dating back to 1985. The Stags have won the last 12 meetings and 24 of the last 25 encounters with Saint Peter's.
 
Stags at Rider
Sunday, Sept. 16 @ 1 PM
Alumni Gymnasium, Lawrenceville, N.J.
Watch | Live Stats
 
Rider, which hosts Quinnipiac on Saturday before hosting the Stags on Sunday, enters the weekend with a record of 4-3. Most recently, the Broncs dropped a five-set clash at La Salle after downing Kent State and NJIT to start their weekend in Philadelphia. Rider was slotted sixth in the MAAC Preseason Coaches' Poll after finishing fifth last fall and losing to fourth-seeded Marist in the MAAC Championship First Round to wrap-up 2017 at 17-15.
 
First Team All-MAAC right-side hitter Hailey Riede leads the squad and ranks fourth in the MAAC with a .307 hitting percentage while sitting at second in the conference with 3.87 kills per frame. Savannah Logan adds 2.83 kills per set, and Delay St. Pierre has compiled 1.89 kills per stanza while swinging at a .277 clip. The attack is run at a .177 rate by Anilee Sher to the tune of 8.90 assists per set.
 
Perry Williams leads the defense as the only player in the MAAC averaging better than a block per set with 31 stuffs in 29 frames of action. Rachelle Runyon is among the conference leaders in the back row with 3.67 digs per set from the libero position.
 
The Broncs also lead the MAAC in service aces with 1.57 winners per set, guided by three players in the individual top 10 from behind the line.
 
The Stags and Broncs have not played any common opponents to date in 2018.
 
Fairfield is 31-4 all-time against Rider. The series began in 1989 and has convened at least once annually since the Broncs joined the MAAC in 1997. The Stags have won the last five meetings.
 
Up Next
Next weekend, MAAC action comes to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall when the Stags host Manhattan and Iona. The Saturday, Sept. 22 clash with the Jaspers will air on the flagship Stags Sports Network while Sunday's meeting with Iona – a rematch of the 2017 MAAC Championship Match – will be broadcast live on ESPN3. First serve for both matches is set for 1 p.m.