FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Coming off of a 3-0 weekend to win the Sacred Heart Invitational, Fairfield University Volleyball kicks off the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference portion of the 2019 slate this weekend with trips to Marist and Siena. The Stags will visit the Red Foxes on Friday and trek back to New York to challenge the Saints on Sunday.
 
Fairfield's run through the Sacred Heart Invitational was sparked by Joelle Battles, who was named Tournament MVP after hitting .462 with 4.75 kills per stanza. Her weekend was highlighted by a 19-kill outing in the Stags' 3-1 win over Northeastern. Battles became the first MAAC player to hit .640 with 19 or more kills since 2010 (Canisius's Samantha Good, .643, 20-2-28). She was joined on the All-Tournament Team by Manuela Nicolini (11.82 assists/set, 3.18 digs/set) and Luci Albertson (1.92 kills/set, .300 hitting).
 
On the season, Fairfield currently boasts the best overall record in the MAAC at 5-4. The Stags have been led on the attack by Laura Seeger and Battles, who rank fourth and fifth in the MAAC with 3.15 and 3.303 kills per set, respectively.  Luci Albertson is Fairfield's most efficient hitter, slotting second in the conference with a .321 hitting percentage.
 
Nicolini top the MAAC with 9.64 assists per set, managing the conference's third-best attack with a .186 team hitting percentage. The Fairfield setter is also among the conference leaders with 13 service aces, tied with rookie Morgan Doll for the team high.
 
A balanced effort in the back row is headed by Nicolini with 3.03 digs per frame, while Doll adds 2.81 and Jamie Calandro chips in with 2.71 digs per stanza. At the net, Kaylie Butts averages nearly a block per set with 36 rejections in 37 frames. As a whole, the Fairfield defense ranks second in the MAAC, limiting opponents to a .197 hitting percentage.
 
Stags at Marist
Friday, Sept. 20 @ 7 p.m.
Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
ESPN3 | Live Stats
 
Marist begins MAAC play at 2-7 but sporting two of the biggest wins by a MAAC squad in the non-conference slate with a 3-2 win over Northern Colorado and a sweep at Santa Clara. The Red Foxes, who are in their first season led by Head Coach Sean Byron, were 14-15 overall last season and tied the Stags in the MAAC standings at 11-7.
 
Former MAAC Rookie of the Year Megan Fergus leads the Marist attack in 2019, averaging 3.21 kills per set on .227 hitting. Sarah Austin adds 2.36 kills per frame with Ashley Cruise notching 1.93. Halle Carter and McKinley Fox have both spent time at setter, averaging 8.84 and 8.50 kills per set, respectively. The Red Foxes are hitting .171 as a unit.
 
Defensively, Sophia Theriot averages a team-best 3.55 digs per set. The effort at the net is led by Fergus with a hand in 24 of Marist's 43 team blocks.
 
The Stags and Red Foxes split the season series last fall with each team winning on the other's home court. Fairfield is 42-8 against Marist since 1990, including a 34-6 advantage in MAAC regular season and postseason meetings since the Red Foxes entered the conference in 1997. Head Coach Todd Kress is 16-3 against Marist in his 10 seasons with the Stags.
 
Stags at Siena
Sunday, Sept. 22 @ 1 p.m.
Loudonville, N.Y.
Live Stats
 
Following a four-set home win over NJIT on Wednesday evening, Siena enters the weekend at 4-5 overall. The Saints, who will host Quinnipiac on Saturday before welcoming the Stags, were 4-28 last fall with a 2-16 MAAC mark.
 
The Siena offense is led by Ally-Reese Williams and Nicole Deobler with 2.88 and 2.62 kills per set, respectively. Abby Huffman is the Saints' most efficient hitter at .268 en route to 1.71 kills per stanza. Maria Llinas has distributed 9.34 assists per frame while piloting Siena to a .204 hitting percentage.
 
Defensively, Gracie Halley heads the back row with 2.64 digs per set, and Huffman leads the front line with a hand in 31 of the team's 73 blocks. Maddy Dunigan is right behind her, getting a piece of 30 rejections.
 
Fairfield has won the last 10 meetings with Siena, improving its record to 41-18 against the Saints since 1987. Todd Kress is 14-4 against Siena as the Stags' head coach.
 
Up Next
MAAC play comes to George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall next Saturday, Sept. 28 with a 6 p.m. visit from Quinnipiac live on ESPN+.