FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball begins the 2022 season this weekend with its longest trip of the fall slate, heading to East Lansing, Mich. for three matches at the Auto Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational hosted by Michigan State. The Stags will play Eastern Michigan on Friday at 5 p.m. followed by a Saturday doubleheader against Louisiana (10 a.m.) and the host Spartans (7 p.m.).
 
Fairfield is coming off of its 12th MAAC Championship season in 2021, finishing at 24-9. The Stags, who are tabbed as the preseason favorites in the MAAC this fall, return 10 student-athletes from that campaign, led by reigning MAAC Player of the Year KJ Johnson. Johnson was one of the top pin hitters in the nation last season, one of only two players with more than 1,000 swings to hit over .300 (.305) en route to an AVCA All-America Honorable Mention selection.
 
Head Coach Todd Kress – an unprecedented eight-time MAAC Coach of the Year – also welcomes back Preseason All-MAAC honoree Ella Gardiner and 2021 Rookie of the Year Mikayla Haut among his 10 returnees. The list of newcomers features four true freshmen as well as impact transfers Sabria Cooper from VCU and Sara Daniels from Saint Louis.
 
Both first-time opponents for the Stags, Eastern Michigan and Louisiana will play each other at noon on Friday to begin their respective seasons. EMU was 9-20 overall and 4-14 in the Mid-American last fall, while the Ragin' Cajuns went 15-11 in a season that ended in the Sun Belt quarterfinals.
 
Fairfield is 0-3 all-time against Michigan State, challenging the Spartans in East Lansing in the 2012 regular season and 2016 NCAA Championship, then welcoming them to Alumni Hall in 2018. With the graduation of fifth-year Luci Albertson and sixth-year Manuela Nicolini, no current Stag student-athlete has played against MSU in their Fairfield career.
 
Michigan State went 11-18 overall and 4-16 in the Big Ten last season, scoring two wins over Rutgers, a sweep at Iowa and a surprising five-set triumph at #7 Purdue – an eventual Elite Eight team. The Spartans are entering their first season guided by Head Coach Leah Johnson, formerly the leader at Illinois State.
 
This weekend begins an ambitious non-conference slate for the Stags. Fairfield's 11 non-conference opponents boast an average 2021 final RPI of 166, including top-50 teams Washington State (36) and High Point (48). Nine of the 11 squads held a better RPI at the close of 2021 than any of Fairfield's nine MAAC opponents.
 
Up next, the Stags trek to Villanova to meet New Hampshire, Lafayette and the host Wildcats on Sept. 2-4. The home schedule kicks off with an action-packed week beginning against St. John's on Wednesday, Sept. 7 followed by the Fairfield Invitational running from Sept. 8-11.