HAMDEN, Conn. -- Fairfield University Volleyball took Set 1 on Sunday at Quinnipiac -- becoming the first visitor to claim a set on Burt Kahn Court this fall -- but the host Bobcats nabbed the next three to take a 3-1 decision in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action. The Stags were led by a double-double from Mikayla Haut with 16 kills and 17 digs.

The setback snaps an eight-match winning streak for the Stags, who slip to 15-6 overall and 11-2 in the MAAC. Quinnipiac improves to 16-7 on the season and 12-2 in conference play. The two clubs are tied in the loss column atop the MAAC standings with two weekends to play on the 18-match league slate. The Stags and Bobcats split the regular season series with each winning on its home court.

Quinnipiac, which is 7-0 at home this season, had won 24 consecutive sets in Hamden since Fairfield's 3-0 sweep of the Bobcats at the Burt exactly one year ago on Oct. 29, 2022.

"We're both good teams, and Quinnipiac was a little better than us today, just like we were a little better than them a few weeks ago," said Head Coach Nancy Somera. "We just didn't get enough quality swings today. Whether it was our passing, our second contact, or the swings themselves -- when we put all of that together, we were very good. But we had too many breakdowns along the way. I'm proud of how we fought, we just need to clean up some of the execution and the details that make the difference when you get down to it in these close sets."

In addition to Haut's 16 kills, Allie Elliott put down eight on the outside. Maya Walker led the attack from the middle with seven kills at a .462 clip. Blakely Montgomery dished out 28 assists form the starting setter position and capped her own double-double with 16 digs.

Also in the back row, Kyla Berg posted 11 digs and Noelle Carey had nine. At the net, Montgomery, Janna Schlageter and Mamie Krubally each had a piece of two of Fairfield's seven team blocks.

How It Happened

SET 1 | The Stags led by as many as eight points in the opening set, maintaining that advantage to a 22-14 count. The Bobcats made a final push, climbing back as close as 24-22 before Fairfield closed out the 25-22 win to take a 1-0 advantage in the match.

SET 2 | One run decided the second frame, as Quinnipiac broke open a back-and-forth 17-15 stanza with six in a row to take a 23-15 lead. The Stags won five of the next six points to close the gap, but the Bobcats ultimately finished off the 25-20 set to knot the match at 1-1.

SET 3 | Seven more ties and a pair of lead changes awaited the clubs in the pivotal third set, with the final deadlock coming at 21-21. The hosts were the team that emerged from the stalemate, winning the final four points to claim a 25-21 decision and take a 2-1 lead in the contest.

SET 4 | The Stags were poised to extend the match to a fifth frame, flipping a 19-16 deficit to a 22-20 lead in the latter stages of Set 4. But the Bobcats also had one more run in them, rolling off five in a row to flip the momentum again and seal the win with a 25-22 victory.

Up Next

The Stags close out the regular season home slate with three matches at Mahoney Arena this week. Fairfield hosts Manhattan on Wednesday, Nov. 1, Siena on Saturday, Nov. 4 and Marist on Sunday, Nov. 5.

Saturday's match will be Senior Day for the Stags, with graduate student Elle Shult and seniors Kyla Berg and Noelle Carey set to be recognized prior to the match.

This article created using technology provided by Data Skrive.