FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball scored eight of the first 10 points in a deciding fifth set to surge past visiting Siena, 3-2, in MAAC action on Wednesday evening at the RecPlex. The Stags were led by 16 kills and 15 digs from KJ Johnson in the pivotal conference victory.

With the win, Fairfield moves to 18-6 on the season with a 12-1 MAAC record. Siena sees its eight-match winning streak snapped, dropping to 11-12 overall and 9-4 in the conference. The Stags hold a three-match advantage over Siena, Iona and Marist in the MAAC standings with five matches remaining for each club.
 
"I thought it was a great match. For those of us old enough to remember, it takes you back to the 90s and early 2000s when Fairfield and Siena were battling for the top of the conference nearly every year," said Head Coach Todd Kress. "As for tonight, I love Siena's energy and defensive tenacity. I thought they were very steady throughout, but we showed some inconsistency. In the sets we lost, we got passive and made too many errors. So we still have to figure out how to be our absolute best, but the fun thing is that we're still a long way from our ceiling and there's another level or two that we can work toward going forward."
 
The reigning MAAC Player of the Week, Johnson's double-double was her third straight as she compiled 16 kills and 15 digs. She also had a hand in six of the Stags' 15 team blocks to round out a 20-point evening.
 
Also on the outside, Allie Elliott put down 12 kills swinging at a .276 clip. Ella Gardiner was a force in the middle with 11 kills on 20 attempts and just one error to post a .500 hitting percentage. Sabria Cooper added six kills, Sara Daniels registered five and Maya Walker notched one in the win.
 
Blakely Montgomery dumped over five kills of her own and handed out 30 assists to pilot Fairfield to a .212 hitting percentage. Maddy Jerondek added nine assists in three frames of work, and Kyla Berg dished out four from the libero spot.
 
To round out the scoring, Montgomery served up three aces while Berg, Elliott and Noelle Carey each landed one from the line.
 
The defensive effort started at the net with Johnson and Walker each chipping in on six blocks. Gardiner had five, Daniels had four and Cooper was a part of three. In the back row, Berg set the pace with 21 digs and Carey nabbed 11. In total, Fairfield limited Siena to a .119 hitting percentage.
 
The Saints were led by Emily Wunder, who matched Johnson's 16 kills. Sara Wagner had 14 finishers for Siena, and Hailey Hinkel notched a double-double with 11 kills and 10 digs. Claire Isaksen distributed a match-high 41 assists for the Saints, and libero Gracie Halley led all players with 33 digs.
 
Fairfield has a one-match weekend on tap as the Stags make the short trip to Hamden to challenge Quinnipiac on Saturday, Oct. 29 at noon. Fairfield will then visit Iona and Manhattan on Nov. 5-6 before wrapping up the regular season at the RecPlex against Rider and Saint Peter's on Nov. 12-13.