FAIRFIELD, Conn. – After winning two of three matches within the familiar confines of Leo D. Mahoney Arena last week, Fairfield University Volleyball returns to the road to close out non-conference play with trips to Bryant on Wednesday, Sept. 17 and CCSU on Friday, Sept. 19. The Stags bring a 5-3 record into the week.
 
Fairfield University Stags (5-3, 0-0 MAAC)

• The Stags had a week of "round robin" play with Yale, Northeastern and UConn this past week at Mahoney Arena.
• Fairfield swept Yale and took a 3-1 victory over Northeastern before falling in five sets to UConn.
• Mamie Krubally led the Stags offensively last week with 3.58 kills per set, running her season average to an even 3.00 per frame to rank seventh in the MAAC.
• Maya Walker is the MAAC's most efficient hitter among NCAA qualifiers with a .358 hitting percentage.
• As a team, the Stags lead the MAAC in hitting percentage (.254), kills per set (13.34) and assists per set (12.46) while ranking second in blocks per set (1.83).

 
Bryant University Bulldogs (3-7, 0-0 America East)

• Bryant is coming off an 0-3 weekend at its home tournament to slip to 3-7 on the season.
• The Bulldogs went 18-10 overall and 4-6 in America East last season, earning a fourth-place projection in this fall's America East preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Arianna Ugolini was named Preseason All-America East after back-to-back All-AE First Team campaigns for the Bulldogs. Thus far in 2025, Ugolini averages a team-best 3.43 kills per set as the only regular Bryant hitter with better than two kills per stanza.
• Theresa Garlacy is in her 30th season as the head coach at Bryant. Garlacy won a total of 617 matches since 1996, leading the Bulldogs from a perennial Division II East Regional contender into the Division I ranks in 2008.

 
All-Time Series (Fairfield leads 5-2)

• Bryant earned a 3-1 decision last October at Mahoney Arena to cut the Stags' lead in the series to 5-2 dating back to 1994. Fairfield is 4-1 against the Bulldogs since Bryant joined the Division I level in 2008.
• The team's have only met twice in Smithfield – a 3-2 Bryant win in 1995 and a 3-2 Fairfield victory in 2023 that marked Nancy Somera's 300th collegiate head coaching triumph.
• Bryant is the lone America East team on Fairfield's 2025 slate, while Bryant is yet to play a MAAC team but will host Manhattan during a late October bye week.

 
Central Connecticut State University Blue Devils (1-8, 0-0 Northeast)

• CCSU enters its final week of non-conference play at 1-8. The Blue Devils will host Sacred Heart on Wednesday before welcoming the Stags to New Britain on Friday.
• Central's lone win thus far in 2025 was a sweep of Holy Cross this past Saturday at Providence. The Blue Devils' setbacks include a 3-2 loss to Merrimack and a pair of 3-0 sweeps at the hands of Siena and Iona.
• CCSU finished at 4-22 overall last fall with a 2-12 record in the NEC. They have been tabbed for seventh of nine teams in the league's preseason poll.
• Olivia Keckler and Weronika Poczynek lead the CCSU attack with 3.84 and 3.06 kills per set, respectively.
• Head Coach Alyssa Broccoli is in her second season in New Britain after leading the programs at Division III Hunter from 2016-2020 and Drew University from 2021-24.

 
All-Time Series (Fairfield leads 12-11)

• Fairfield's 3-0 win last season at Mahoney Arena pushed the Stags into a 12-11 lead in the all-time series with the Blue Devils.
• The teams played almost annually – and occasionally twice in a season – from 1989 to 2002.
• The Stags are 2-0 against CCSU under Head Coach Nancy Somera, winning a 3-1 decision at West Point in 2023 and then taking a home sweep last fall.

 
Notes

• With one win this week, Fairfield's six non-conference wins would match the program's most non-league victories (MAAC Tournament excluded) since the 2022 team went 6-5 outside the MAAC.
• If Fairfield secures a 2-0 week, the Stags' seven non-MAAC wins would be the most since 2016, when Fairfield went 8-5 in the non-conference schedule.
• An unbeaten week would also run Nancy Somera's record to 50-22 leading the Stags. Somera would be the second-fastest to 50 wins in Fairfield history. Mitch Jacobs needed just 59 matches to reach 50 victories after taking the helm in 1999.

 
Up Next

• Action returns to Mahoney Arena when Fairfield opens MAAC play with three consecutive home outings against Merrimack (Sept. 26) and in-state foes Quinnipiac (Sept. 27) and Sacred Heart (Sept. 30).
• Admission is free for all fans to all Fairfield Volleyball regular season home matches this season.