FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball closes out the 2023 regular season this weekend at the MAAC's New Jersey contingent – Saint Peter's and Rider. First serve in both matches is slated for noon.
 
The Scenario

• Fairfield is locked into a top-two seed and first round bye for the upcoming MAAC Championship, which will be held at Leo D. Mahoney Arena on Nov. 17-19.
• The Stags can clinch at least a share of their 22nd MAAC Regular Season Championship with a win or a Quinnipiac loss this weekend.
• As the Bobcats (13-3) own the tiebreaker over the Stags (14-2), Fairfield enters the weekend needing two wins – pending QU's results against Rider and Saint Peter's – to lock up the top seed in the tournament.
• Elsewhere around the MAAC, Marist and Niagara have both clinched a spot in the postseason while the trio of Iona, Rider and Canisius enter the final weekend as the three teams vying for the final two slots in the six-team field.

 
The Fairfield University Stags (18-6, 14-2 MAAC)

• First-place Fairfield leads the MAAC in hitting percentage (.208) and ranks eighth in the nation with a MAAC-best .149 opponent hitting percentage.
• In the national rankings, the Stags are also 27th in digs per set (16.42) and 59th in blocks per set (2.40).
• Individually, Maya Walker leads the conference in hitting percentage at .338 and is second in blocks with 1.10 per stanza.
• Kyla Berg was named the MAAC Libero of the Week for a Fairfield-record sixth time in her career, surpassing the five amassed by Mallory Bechtold. Berg's fourth honor this fall also tie's Bechtold's single-season record.
• This season, Berg ranks third in the MAAC with 3.75 digs per set.

 
The Saint Peter's Peacocks (0-28, 0-16 MAAC)

• Saint Peter's enters the final weekend of the campaign in search of its first win of 2023.
• The Peacocks are hitting .122 as a unit with opponents hitting .267 against them.
• In the first meeting of the Stags and Peacocks on Oct. 15, the Stags were fueled to a 3-0 sweep by Allie Elliott with 15 kills and 10 digs.
• Setting duties were shared by Blakely Montgomery and Abby Jandro, who doled out 21 and 14 assists, respectively. The Stags' attack was humming en route to a .327 hitting percentage.
• Mackenzie Tucker led SPU with seven kills, and Morgan Thurlow put down five to go along with four blocks.

 
The Rider University Broncs (10-15, 9-7 MAAC)

• Rider heads into the final regular season weekend needing one win to clinch a postseason berth. The Broncs can also qualify without a win in their last two, but would need to rely on other results around the conference to go their way in that situation.
• Rider ranks fifth in the league with a .187 hitting percentage and sixth defensively with opponents hitting .218 against the them.
• In addition to their attack, the Broncs are powered by the serve of Ryley Frye, who ranks eighth in the nation in aces per set (0.58).
• The Stags swept Rider on Oct. 14 at Mahoney Arena, with Allie Elliott and Mamie Krubally each putting down 12 kills.
• The Broncs got nine kills apiece from Tori Schrader and Gabby Polynice.

 
Up Next

• Fairfield will begin the MAAC Championship in the semifinal round on Saturday, Nov. 18 at Mahoney Arena.
• More information will be announced as it is finalized by the MAAC at the close of the regular season.