FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the second time this week, Fairfield University Volleyball erased a 2-0 deficit to force a deciding fifth frame. However, unlike in Wednesday's win over St. John's, the Stags could not complete the comeback on Sunday against visiting Howard as the Bison to a 3-2 win to conclude the 2022 Fairfield Invitational. KJ Johnson led the Stags offensively and defensively with 23 kills and 16 digs.
 
With the loss, the Stags complete the non-conference slate with a record of 6-5. Howard – the reigning MEAC Champion and winner of their conference in six of the last seven seasons – improve to 4-5 on the year.

"That was a fun match to be a part of. I thought both teams played very well at times," said Head Coach Todd Kress. "Credit to Howard for their defensive intensity and staying aggressive out of system. I'm disappointed for us that we once against seemed flat in the first two sets. At some point, we've got to find the answer to that. KJ had a huge match offensively, but we need more than one attacker to step up and produce consistently."
 
Johnson's 23 kills came on .311 hitting (23-4-61) as she racked up 15 of her kills over the final three sets. Her team-leading 16 digs completed the third double-double of the season for the 2021 MAAC Player of the Year.
 
Mikayla Haut added 13 kills on the outside, including four apiece in the third and fourth frames. In the middle, Ella Gardiner and Sara Daniels pitched in six and five kills, respectively, with Sabria Cooper adding five from the right side and Allie Elliott putting down one.
 
Blakely Montgomery, who dumped over four kills of her own, managed the attack to a .172 hitting percentage from the setter spot.
 
The Stags added eight points from the end line with two aces apiece for Johnson, Daniels, Kyla Berg and Morgan Doll.
 
Defensively, the Stags had three players reach double-digit digs with Johnson's 16 complemented by 13 for Doll and 12 by Berg. At the net, Daniels had a hand in six of Fairfield's 10 team blocks, with Haut, Johnson and Gardiner also getting a piece of three send-backs.
 
Howard's attack featured four in double figures, led by 16 for Jennifer Bolden and 15 from Dami Awojobi. Kayla Diaz ran the offense with 47 assists, and libero Essence Bell led all players with 18 digs.
 
The Stags will open the 2022 MAAC schedule next weekend with the longest trek of the conference calendar – a visit to Western New York to meet Canisius and Niagara on Sept. 17-18. Fairfield will play its first four league matches away from the RecPlex before coming home to host in-state foe Quinnipiac on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.