FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Nearly 16 months since winning a MAAC Championship on George Bisacca Court at Alumni Hall, Fairfield University Volleyball returned to their home court to begin the 2021 spring season of MAAC play. The Stags topped visiting Rider in a pair of league clashes – 3-1 and 3-2 – in the final events to be held at Alumni Hall.
 
"First and foremost, we're happy to gut out a couple of MAAC wins, because I thought Rider played very well," said Head Coach Todd Kress. "But everybody in our locker room would agree that we have a long way to go and a short amount of time to get there. The way this season is formatted, you can't have an off-night or take any steps backwards, because we're playing 10 matches in three weeks and every day is crucial in ensuring that we're playing our best volleyball heading into the end of the season."
 
MAAC Preseason Player of the Year Manuela Nicolini paced the Stags from the setter spot with a double-double in each end of today's twin bill. Joelle Battles led a balanced offense with 22 total kills in the two contests (2.75/set) with Laura Seeger and Luci Albertson each adding 20 finishers.
 
In the back row, Georgia Via totaled 35 digs against the Broncs, with Nicolini registering 24 digs and Kyla Berg notching 23 in her Stags debut. The defensive effort at the net was led by Albertson's eight blocks, six from Nicolini, and five apiece by Battles and Ella Gardiner.
 
All 14 available Stags took the court in today's action, including the collegiate debuts for freshmen Berg, Via, Gardiner and Simone Tyson.
 
Match 1: Fairfield 3, Rider 1 (25-17, 18-25, 25-18, 25-23)

• Luci Albertson paced the Fairfield offense with 13 kills (.296) to match her personal best, and had a hand in five of the Stags' seven blocks.
• Laura Seeger also reached double digits, hammering 10 kills on .259 hitting from the outside, and Joelle Battles sent home nine kills on .273 hitting with a pair of blocks.
• Manuela Nicolini filled out her statline with 36 assists, 10 digs, six kills on .857 hitting, five service aces and three blocks.
• The Stags served up 10 aces in total, with Julia Kallen and Georgia Via each landed two and Morgan Doll dropped in one.
• A pair of freshmen – Via and Kyla Berg – shared libero duties and shared the team high with 14 digs apiece. Nicolini and Julia Kallen added 10 each from the back row.
• Thirteen Stags took the court, with all eight who took a swing each recording at least two kills.

 
Match 2: Fairfield 3, Rider 2 (25-19, 22-25, 25-16, 16-25, 15-12)

• Manuela Nicolini recorded her second double-double of the afternoon with 45 assists and 14 digs. She also dumped over a career-high seven kills on eight errorless swings (.875) and got a piece of three of the Stags' eight blocks.
• Joelle Battles had 13 kills to lead the offense from the right side, while Laura Seeger joined her in double figures with 10 kills. Three of Seeger's kills came in the fifth set, and Battles had two finishers in the deciding frame.
• Three Stags – Nicolini, Luci Albertson and Emily Schillinger – had seven kills, with Kaylie Butts hitting an efficient .500 en route to six finishers.
• Georgia Via notched 21 digs from the libero slot, and Morgan Doll posted 10 from the back row. Doll also scored twice from the end line with a pair of aces.
• Rookies Kyla Berg and Simone Tyson helped fortify the back row with nine and six digs, respectively.

 
With today's wins, Fairfield Volleyball finishes its Alumni Hall residency with a record of 276-97 (.740) in 373 matches since 1985. Four of the Stags' 11 MAAC Championships were won at Alumni Hall – 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2019.
 
"I didn't really think about it in 2019 because there will still other events scheduled after us," Kress said of the Alumni Hall swansong. "But in the lead-up to today, it was definitely in the forefront of my mind. I love this building, and the memories and friendships I've built here. Alumni Hall is our home and will always be a special place, though we're very excited for the new Convocation Center and what that will mean to our program and to Fairfield University."
 
Up next, the Stags travel to Iona (2-0) for an 11 AM doubleheader with the Gaels on Sunday, March 14. After a midweek trek to Western New York for a twin bill at Niagara, the Stags second and final MAAC home series will be held in the Rafferty Gymnasium inside Walsh Athletic Center on Sunday, March 21 against Siena.