FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball flipped a pivotal third set – turning a 10-3 deficit into a 25-22 win – en route to a 3-1 sweep of visiting Rider on Sunday afternoon at Leo D. Mahoney Arena. Allie Elliott led the Stags with 14 kills and Blakely Montgomery and Mikayla Haut each posted a double-double in Fairfield's ninth consecutive win.
 
With the win, Fairfield gains a two-match lead in the MAAC standings at 9-0 as the conference slate reaches its halfway point. The Stags are 11-9 overall on the season. Rider, which also lost in four sets on Saturday at Sacred Heart, stands at 7-14 on the season with a  6-3 league mark.
 
"Rider is a good volleyball team; they are well coached and talented. I thought they made good adjustments, and I was happy with how we reacted and made our own adjustments to ultimately get the win today," said Head Coach Nancy Somera. "Delaney [Moon] came on in a big spot at libero, Natalie Carlin had some big serves, and Blakely played well when we switched to a 5-1. Our depth is one of our strengths, and those players and others responded with some key performances when called upon today."
 
Offensively, Elliott's 14 kills on .353 hitting paced three Stags to reach double figures. Haut and Mamie Krubally each put down 13 kills on the day, with Maya Walker adding eight from the middle. A total of 11 Stags had at least one kill in the match, including two from Montgomery and one from Abby Jandro at the setter spots as well as one apiece from Fairfield's dual liberos Kyla Berg and Delaney Moon.
 
As a unit, the Stags hit .270 for the match. Montgomery dished out 35 assists and Jandro added 12.
 
Fairfield outdueled the MAAC's top serving team, landing 10 aces to the Broncs' five. Haut, Berg, Carlin and Noelle Carey each dropped a pair of winners, with Moon and Jandro each serving up one.
 
Defensively, Montgomery completed her double-double with a match-high 16 digs, and Haut notched 11. Elliott was just one short of her own double-double, tallying nine from the back row. The trio of Berg, Carey and Jandro each chipped in seven digs and Moon notched five.
 
At the net, Walker had a hand in all six of Fairfield's team blocks. Elliott and Svenja Rodenbüsch chipped in on two rejections apiece, with Montgomery and Krubally each getting a hand on one. The Fairfield defensive effort held Rider to .189 hitting to mark the ninth time in nine MAAC contests that the Stags' opponent finished with a hitting percentage below .200.
 
Rider Brynn Johnson led all players with 16 kills. Kiannisha Santiago added 14 finishers and Paige Giehtbrock posted a double-double with 12 kills and 10 digs for the Broncs.
 
Up next, Fairfield wraps up the non-conference slate on Wednesday with a 6 p.m. visit from Bryant. The Bulldogs are 16-6 overall and 3-2 in America East.