FAIRFIELD, Conn. — After a straight-set victory over Quinnipiac last Saturday, Fairfield University Volleyball returns to the RecPlex this weekend to square off with a pair of conference foes in Manhattan and Iona on October 8-9. First serve of both matches is scheduled for 1 p.m.
Saturday's match will be the Stags' "Herd for a Cure" match with a 50/50 raffle to benefit
The Cancer Couch.
The Stags have won five matches in a row en route to their 5-0 MAAC record and are yet to drop a set against conference foes. The recent surge has improved Fairfield's overall mark to 11-5.
Reigning MAAC Player of the Year
KJ Johnson led the way for the Stags on offense yet again last Saturday, coming away with 11 kills on .407 hitting against Quinnipiac. The offense was run by the combination of
Blakely Montgomery and
Abby Jandro, who finished with 19 and 11 assists respectively, while guiding the Stags to a .352 team hitting percentage.
Kyla Berg donned the libero jersey and led the back row with 11 digs, while
Maya Walker controlled the defense at the net with a hand in seven of Fairfield's nine team blocks.
For the season, Johnson ranks second in the MAAC with 3.60 kills per set. Her .274 hitting percentage in good for eighth in the conference, with her 552 swings a full 250 more than any other player among the top 10 in efficiency. In the national ranks, only 13 players with as many attempts as Johnson's 552 own a better hitting percentage than the Stags' standout pin hitter.
Defensively,
Sara Daniels and
Ella Gardiner rank first and third in the conference in blocks with 1.10 and 0.91 per set, respectively. Berg is among the MAAC leaders in the back row with 3.20 digs per stanza.
The Manhattan Jaspers dropped a midweek match at in-state opponent St. Francis Brooklyn on Wednesday, falling to 1-15 overall and 1-5 in the MAAC. The Jaspers' lone win was a five-set victory over Saint Peter's on Sept. 24. Manhattan has dropped five straight since that triumph.
Julia Menocal has been Manhattan's top performer, ranking third in kills per set (3.58) and sixth in aces per frame (0.42).
Iona defeated Saint Peter's in four sets on Wednesday night to improve to 11-6 overall and 6-1 in the MAAC. The win in Jersey City was just the second road win in seven outings for the Gaels, who have been buoyed by a perfect 7-0 mark at home.
Reigning MAAC Rookie of the Week Mackenzie Wiggins posts a team-best 2.71 kills per set, with Jen Soto adding 2.16 kills per frame while ranking third in the MAAC with a .338 hitting percentage. The defense is led by Hope Matschner, who currently leads the nation with 6.55 digs per set.
The Stags will have a short turnaround from this weekend's action when Marist visits the RecPlex for a 7 p.m. Wednesday tilt. The Red Foxes, who host Siena on Saturday, are currently 10-7 overall and 6-1 in the MAAC. They have won four straight contests since being swept by the Stags in Poughkeepsie for their lone MAAC setback on Sept. 24.
