FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball has unveiled the schedule for its upcoming 2023 season – the first for the Stags inside the Leo D. Mahoney Arena. The slate features 11 matches at the new venue, highlighted by the Sept. 2 home opener with UMBC and a Sept. 10 visit from Northwestern.
 
Admission is free for all fans to all regular season home matches at Mahoney Arena this fall.
 
In total, the inaugural schedule for Head Coach Nancy Somera is comprised of 26 regular season matches. Somera joined the Stags in the spring of 2023, after most recently building a Division III powerhouse at Johnson & Wales and previously leading the programs at Oregon State and South Carolina in a coaching career that spans more than 30 years.
 
Both of the Stags' non-conference home matches will be cause for an electric atmosphere on-campus. On Sept. 2, Fairfield hosts UMBC at 2:30 p.m. for the first-ever volleyball match at Mahoney Arena. The contest will also be the first home athletics event for the incoming Fairfield University Class of 2027, which descends upon campus beginning Sept. 1.
 
The following Saturday, Sept. 10 marks a return to Mahoney Arena and a visit from Northwestern. The Wildcats will be just the second Big Ten foe to challenge the Stags on campus in more than 20 seasons (Michigan State, 2018).
 
Fairfield's non-conference road slate includes an Aug. 25-26 season-opening tournament at Army West Point where, in addition to the host Black Knights, the Stags will meet California out of the Pac-12 and in-state opponent Central Connecticut State.
 
The Stags will also make the crosstown trek to Sacred Heart on Aug. 31 and midweek visits to LIU (Sept. 5) and Bryant (Sept. 13) before diving into the MAAC slate.
 
"We are thrilled to make our debut in Mahoney Arena this season, starting with the reigning America East Champion UMBC and a high-major test in Northwestern," said Somera. "With opponents from the Big Ten and Pac 12, as well as six mid-majors who regularly compete for their respective conference titles, our non-conference schedule will challenge us in many ways and prepare us for the MAAC season."
 
The four-time regular season champions of the MAAC officially begin the defense of that streak on Sept. 16.-17 at Mahoney Arena against Canisius and Niagara. The conference home ledger also includes a four-match homestand featuring 2022 MAAC champion Quinnipiac (Oct. 6), Iona (Oct. 11), Rider (Oct. 14) and Saint Peter's (Oct. 15). The regular season home slate concludes with a three-match run against Manhattan (Nov. 1), Siena (Nov. 4) and Marist (Nov. 5).
 
All MAAC roads lead back to Mahoney Arena this fall, as Fairfield is set to host the 2023 MAAC Championship on Nov. 17-19. The top six teams will advance to the postseason tournament, with the top two squads earning a bye to the semifinal round. Fairfield previously hosted the MAAC Championship at Alumni Hall in 1991, 2007, 2012, 2016, 2017 and 2019.