FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball split Saturday's action at the Sacred Heart Invitational, defeating Lafayette and falling to the host Pioneers, to finish the weekend at 2-1. The Stags defeated UC Irvine in straight sets in the tournament opener on Friday afternoon.

Against the Leopards, Fairfield dropped the opening set by a score of 22-25 before rattling off consecutive victories by a count of 25-15, 25-23 and 25-21 to seal the 3-1 triumph. KJ Johnson paced the attack with 20 kills and fell just short of a double-double with nine digs. Laura Seeger had 10 kills on .381 hitting from the right side, and Mikayla Haut added nine finishers. Manuela Nicolini ran the attack to a .279 hitting percentage with 42 assists.
 
Defensively, Ella Gardiner had a hand in seven of the Stags' 10 team blocks, while Haut and Nicolini were each a part of three rejections. Kyla Berg led the back row with 24 digs donning the libero jersey, and Georgia Via picked up 10 digs.
 
In the nightcap, the Pioneers bounced back from a decisive loss to UC Irvine earlier the day to take a straight-set decision from the Stags by a score of 25-14, 25-16 and 25-16. Johnson was once against the offensive pacesetter with a 10-kill outing, and Gardiner was efficient from the middle with five kills and just one error on her eight attempts. Blakely Montgomery took over setting duties for the Stags' second match of the day and finished with 16 assists.
 
Julia Kallen saw action at libero for the first time and notched seven digs – sharing the team high from the back row with Johnson. At the net, Luci Albertson led the effort with four blocks.

"We had some very nice moments over the entirety of the weekend, but we need to be more consistent in our effort and mental approach," said Head Coach Todd Kress. "We have one more match on Tuesday to prepare for MAAC play, so we need to have a quick mental reset and then begin to prepare for the defending MAAC Champions [Rider] coming to our gym next Saturday."
 
Fairfield Volleyball (4-6) returns home to the RecPlex and wraps up the non-conference portion of the fall slate this Tuesday, Sept. 14 for a 6 p.m. visit from Bryant. The Bulldog are coming off of back-to-back 3-0 losses to Northeastern and Villanova, leveling their record at 5-5.
 
Fans who plan to attend Tuesday's match are reminded that masks are required – regardless of vaccination status – inside the RecPlex and all indoor facilities on campus. The contest will also be broadcast live and free of charge on the Stags Sports Network.