FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Eleven matches on George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall and a weekend tournament in Malibu highlight the 2019 Fairfield Volleyball schedule. The 27-match slate, as announced today by Head Coach Todd Kress, features meetings with nine teams from nine different conferences prior to the start of the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference schedule.
 
"We always try to challenge ourselves in the preseason while also preparing for MAAC play, and this year will be no different," said Kress. "Our two opening tournaments in Baltimore and Malibu will be a step up in competition for us, but a great opportunity for us as well. I have no doubt that this year's group will come in more prepared than ever and ready to tackle the opportunities on our preseason schedule and make a run at another MAAC Championship."
 
Three unfamiliar foes await the Stags at an opening-weekend tournament in Baltimore hosted by UMBC on Aug. 30-31. Fairfield will challenge Temple and the host Retrievers for the first time in over a decade in addition to the first-ever meeting with Lafayette.
 
The following weekend, the Stags head to the west coast for three matches in Malibu. Action begins on Sept. 6 against California Baptist – a team that went 21-11 in its first Division I campaign last fall – and continues that evening against the host Pepperdine Waves.
 
Fairfield last met Pepperdine in 2000 as the Stags became the first MAAC team to ever win a set in the NCAA postseason, ultimately falling 3-1 to the #15 Waves. Last season, Pepperdine posted a 22-9 mark and finished second in the WCC, besting Northern Iowa to reach the NCAA Second Round.
 
The Pacific swing concludes on Saturday, Sept. 7 with the Stags' first meeting with Texas A&M. The Aggies finished fifth in the SEC last fall, wrapping up with a 17-13 record that included wins over conference foes Arkansas, Georgia, LSU, Auburn, Ole Miss, Mississippi State and Alabama.
 
The 2019 Stags take to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall for the first time on Friday, Sept. 13 against Northeastern. Fairfield will also host NJIT at 11 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14 before finishing that day of work across town with a 7 p.m. first serve at Sacred Heart.
 
The MAAC slate begins the following Friday, Sept. 20, when the Stags renew their series with Marist in Poughkeepsie. Fairfield also challenges Siena on Sunday, Sept. 22 in Loudonville. MAAC play comes to Alumni Hall on Saturday, Sept. 28 for a visit from in-state conference foe Quinnipiac.
 
At the close of the 18-match MAAC regular season, the top six teams will qualify for the 2019 MAAC Championship. This year's tournament will be held at Alumni Hall from Nov. 22-24. The Stags are hosting the MAAC postseason for the fifth time, last welcoming the tournament in 2016 and 2017 – both of which ended with Fairfield hoisting the MAAC Championship Trophy.
 
Schedule Notes
The Stags nine non-conference foes represent nine different conference (AAC, America East, Patriot, WAC, WCC, SEC, CAA, Atlantic Sun, NEC).
 
The non-conference schedule includes three first-time opponents (Lafayette, California Baptist, Texas A&M) as well as two opponents that the Stags have not played in over a decade (Temple, UMBC).
 
Fairfield will challenge two teams that finished 2018 ranked in the top 100 in RPI: Pepperdine (33) and Texas A&M (80).