POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. – Fairfield University Volleyball put up a formidable block to stifle host Marist on Saturday in Poughkeepsie, using that the defensive front to polish off a 3-0 sweep of the Red Foxes. KJ Johnson had a hand in six of those rejections and also posted a team-leading 12 kills.
 
With the win, Fairfield improves to 9-5 overall and 3-0 in the MAAC, while Marist drops to 6-7 on the year with a 2-1 conference tally. Coupled with Rider's three-set loss at Iona, the Stags are only remaining MAAC unbeaten in the early stages of league play.

"Today showed that there's more than one way to win a volleyball match," said Head Coach Todd Kress. "We were stymied all day in serve reception -- and usually the team that wins serve and pass wins the match -- but today's difference was our physicality at the net. Thirteen blocks is a huge number for a three-set match."
 
The block party also included four send-backs for Ella Gardiner and three solo stuffs from Sabria Cooper. The back row contributed to the defensive effort with libero Kyla Berg notching a match-high 19 digs, while Mikayla Haut added seven and Johnson posted six. All told, the Fairfield defense limited Marist to a .111 hitting percentage, including 11 errors – most of the them courtesy of Stags' blocks – from standout hitter Sasha van de Merwe.

"KJ was dominant as a blocker today," Kress noted. "We knew going in that a big part of their scoring comes from Sasha, and I though we did a solid job of limiting her points. She's still a very terminal hitter, but we didn't allow her to find her usual offensive rhythm."
 
On the offensive side, Johnson's 12 kills came on 30 errorless attempts for an even .400 hitting percentage. Ella Gardiner added a .667 rate from the middle with nine kills (9-1-12), while Haut notched four and Cooper put down three. Rounding out the attack, the quintet of Maya Walker, Blakely Montgomery, Allie Elliott, Sara Daniels and the libero Berg all landed two kills apiece.

The attack was managed by the setting duo of Montgomery and Abby Jandro, who finished with 19 and seven assists, respectively.
 
To complete the scoring, Berg served up three aces, Montgomery had two, with Johnson and Haut each landed one from the endline.
 
Marist was led by 15 kills for van der Merwe and seven from Gabrielle Heller. Setter McKinley Fox had a match-high 25 assists, and libero Morgan Owens paced the Red Foxes back row with 13 digs.
 
The Stags will play the final match of their four-match road swing to begin MAAC play tomorrow when they travel to Siena. The Saints, who are in action against Quinnipiac at the time of writing, are 3-8 overall and 1-1 in the conference. First serve from the UHY Center in Loudonville is scheduled for 3 p.m.
 
Fairfield's first MAAC home match is next Saturday, Oct. 1 as in-state conference-foe Quinnipiac comes to the RecPlex for a 1 p.m. first serve.