SMITHFIELD, R.I. -- In the final tune-up before diving into the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference slate this weekend, Wednesday's match between Fairfield and host Bryant resembled a mid-November clash for position near the top of the MAAC standings. The five-set contest featured long rallies, comebacks, and a total of 24 ties and 16 lead changes before the Stags came away with the 3-2 victory by set scores of 25-13, 28-30, 25-20, 20-25 and 15-9. Svenja Rodenbusch, Allie Elliott and Blakely Montgomery all put up double-doubles in today's effort. At the pins, Rodenbusch had 17 kills and 13 digs and Elliott notched 16 kills on .351 hitting and posted 11 digs. Montgomery was the Stags' primary setter, finishing with 44 assists and a team-best 18 digs.
With the win, the Stags wrap-up the non-league schedule at 4-4. Bryant will head into America East play with a 7-5 tally.
"With MAAC play coming up this weekend, it was beneficial for us to go on the road and win, but also just to play well against a quality opponent," said Head Coach Nancy Somera. "Tonight was the best that our offense has looked this season. And in the end, our block and our serve took over."
The Stags posted 10 blocks for the third time in 2023, sparked by seven from Maya Walker. Fairfield also landed a season-best 12 aces, with three apiece coming from Elliott, Rodenbusch and Noelle Carey.
Offensively, Fairfield's .267 hitting percentage marked a season best. In addition to Elliott's .351 clip at the pins, Walker put down eight kills on .368 hitting.
Janna Schlageter had 11 finishers, Mikayla Haut added five, and Montgomery dumped over three from the setter spot.
In the back row, the duo of Berg and Noelle Carey registered 17 and 14 digs, respectively.
How It Happened
SET 1 | The Stags led wire-to-wire in Set 1, racing out to a 7-1 lead. Bryant never climbed closer than within three points the rest of the way, and the margin ballooned as large as 12 points in a 25-13 win.
SET 2 | The second frame set the tone for the remainder of the match, featuring nine ties and four lead changes. The Bulldogs led 13-7 at the midway point of the stanza, but Fairfield used a 9-3 run at that juncture to knot the set at 16-16. A quick three points put the match back in Bryant's control at 19-16, but the score was soon tied again at 21-21. After a total of five set-point chances -- three for the Bulldogs and two for the Stags -- Bryant finally closed out the frame, 30-28, to tie the match at 1-1.
SET 3 | Bryant grabbed the early lead again in set three, winning seven of the first 10 rallies. The margin would not grow much larger, but the Bulldogs remained at arm's length until a 5-1 run pulled Fairfield even at 14-14. The Stags soon found themselves trailing again at 18-16, but rebounded with a decisive 8-0 spurt and eventually closed out the set at 25-20.
SET 4 | Bryant entered the fourth set with a flurry, take a 6-0 lead to force a quick Fairfield timeout. The Stags, however, had another rally in them as they soon tied the set at 10-10 and then built a lead of their own at 15-12. The Bulldogs responded in kind, winning seven of the next eight points to take a 19-16 lead that they would not relinquish en route to a 25-20 win to push the match to a deciding fifth set.
SET 5 | One run was all in took to determine a winner in the fifth frame, as the Stags turned a 4-4 tie into an 11-5 lead. Fueled by five blocks in the final set, Fairfield went on to ice the win with a 15-9 victory.
The start of MAAC play will also mark the first-ever MAAC contests at Mahoney Arena as Canisius and Niagara come to campus on Sept. 16-17. First serve for both matches is set for 1 p.m.
Canisius is 2-6 on the season and is looking to whether a five-game losing streak since defeating Saint Francis and Belmont on opening weekend. Niagara, which visits Quinnipiac on Saturday before heading to Mahoney Arena, finished its non-conference slate at 1-7. The lone win was the Purple Eagles most recent opponent, hosting and sweeping Kent State on Sept. 9.
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