FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Coming off of a 2-0 weekend in Western New York to start the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference portion of the schedule, Fairfield University Volleyball is back on the road and back in the Empire State to challenge Marist and Siena on Sept. 24-25. Fairfield and Marist are the only two MAAC teams to emerge from opening weekend at 2-0 – with Rider also unbeaten at 1-0. Siena is 1-1 in the MAAC after splitting a home weekend against Iona and Manhattan.
The Stags' Western New York trip was highlighted by the 500th career win for Head Coach
Todd Kress. Kress is one of 30 active Division I coaches to attain 500 victories, owning a lifetime record of 500-312 (.616). He is also the all-time winningest coach in Fairfield and MAAC Volleyball history with 266 wins (266-117, .695) leading the Stags. The eight-time MAAC Coach of the Year and seven-time MAAC Champion has also led the programs at Northern Illinois, Florida State and Buffalo.
Fairfield (8-5) hit a MAAC-best .327 last weekend, with four hitters swinging at .382 or better. Reigning MAAC Player of the Year
KJ Johnson amassed 5.17 kills per set at a .388 clip in the wins over Canisius and Niagara, while right-side hitter
Sabria Cooper was the Stags' most efficient arm at .455.
Blakely Montgomery managed the attack and dished out 11.00 assists per stanza.
Marist dispatched Manhattan and Siena in straight sets over the weekend, led by 5.60 kills per set on .386 hitting for Sasha van der Merwe. As a unit, the Red Foxes hit .319 in the wins over the Jaspers and Saints.
Marist is 6-6 overall after picking up a pair of conference victories. The non-conference slate was highlighted by wins over Georgia State, Belmont, Coppin State and LIU. The Red Foxes were 17-13 overall and 12-6 in the MAAC last season, falling in five frames to sixth-seeded Quinnipiac in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals.
The Siena Saints split their opening MAAC weekend as they were swept by Iona and then downed Manhattan in straight sets. The Saints hit .267 over the weekend, paced by 4.67 kills per frame for Emily Wunder and 4.00 per stanza by Sara Wagner. Ece Emrullah was a force at the net as well, racking up 2.50 kills per set on .500 hitting and putting down seven blocks in six sets of work.
Siena was 7-23 overall and 7-11 in the MAAC in 2021, earning the eighth seed and falling to the Stags on their home court in the MAAC Championship Quarterfinals.
After this weekend's action, MAAC play comes to the RecPlex for the first time in 2022 as the Stags host in-state conference foe Quinnipiac on Saturday, Oct. 1 at 1 p.m.
