FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Fairfield University Volleyball returns home to Leo D. Mahoney Arena this weekend to begin the MAAC portion of the 2025 schedule. The Stags will host Merrimack on Friday at 6 p.m. and welcome Quinnipiac on Saturday at 4 p.m.
 
Admission is free for all fans to all Fairfield Volleyball regular season home matches this season.
 
Fairfield University Stags (6-4, 0-0 MAAC)

• The Stags finished the non-conference slate at 6-4 after splitting a week of road action with a 3-1 loss at Bryant on Wednesday and a Friday sweep at CCSU.
• Fairfield's six non-conference wins mark the most since the 2022 Stags went 6-5 outside of the MAAC.
• Harlan Wyche had seven kills on seven swings in Friday's win in New Britain. She is the first Stag in more than 25 years to post at least seven kills with a 1.000 hitting percentage.
• On the defensive end, Wyche ranks second in the MAAC with an even 1.00 blocks per set.
• Maya Walker paces the MAAC in hitting percentage at .371. As a unit, the Stags rank 49th in the nation with a conference-leading .261 hitting percentage.
• Four Stags are averaging better than two kills per set, led by 2.79 per frame by Allie Elliott.

 
Merrimack College Warriors (2-7, 0-0 MAAC)

• Merrimack was swept on Tuesday at New Hampshire to take a 2-7 record into the MAAC slate.
• The Warriors' non-conference wins were a sweep of Chicago State and a 3-2 win over CCSU.
• The Blue Devils are the only common non-league opponents between Fairfield and Merrimack.
• McKenna Shotwell leads Merrimack with 2.12 kills per set.
• Morgan Thurlow is the Warriors' most efficient hitter at .252 en route to 2.23 kills per frame. She has also put down 27 blocks in 33 sets this fall.

 
All-Time Series (Fairfield leads 2-0)

• The all-time series began last fall when Merrimack joined the MAAC. Fairfield swept both the October meeting at Mahoney Arena and the November clash in North Andover.
• Merrimack joined the Division I ranks in 2019 and as a member of the Northeast Conference prior to the fall of 2024.

 
Quinnipiac University Bobcats (3-9, 0-0 MAAC)

• Quinnipiac finished its non-conference slate at 3-9 with wins coming over Western Illinois, Stonehill, and Dartmouth. The Bobcats will visit Sacred Heart on Friday before coming to Mahoney Arena on Saturday afternoon.
• The Stags and Bobcats both met Towson earlier this season, with Fairfield besting the Tigers in five sets on a neutral court and QU falling, 3-1, on Towson's home floor.
• Reigning MAAC Player of the Year Elena Giacomini leads the MAAC and ranks 28th in the nation with 4.38 kills per set.
• One of the few six-rotation setters in the MAAC, Damla Gunes is second in the conference with 8.81 assists per set while managing the Bobcats' attack to a .161 hitting percentage.

 
All-Time Series (Fairfield leads 26-5)

• The Stags' win in the 2024 MAAC Championship Match extended their lead in the all-time series to 26-5.
• The teams have met in each of the last three conference championship matches, with Quinnipiac winning in 2022 followed by back-to-back wins for the Stags in 2023 and 2024.
• Fairfield and Quinnipiac have also split the regular season in the last two years with each team winning both matches on its home court.

 
News and Notes

• As MAAC play begins, Fairfield officially begins the defense of its streak of six consecutive MAAC Regular Season Championships. The six straight league titles is already a conference record – Fairfield previously won five in a row from 1996-2000.
• Win one win this week, Nancy Somera would claim her 50th victory as Fairfield's head coach. Currently boasting a mark of 49-23, Somera would be the second-fastest to 50 wins in Fairfield Volleyball history. Mitch Jacobs needed just 59 matches to reach 50 victories after taking the helm in 1999.

 
Up Next

• The Stags continue MAAC play and conclude their three-match homestand on Tuesday with a visit from Sacred Heart. First serve is set for 6 p.m.
• The Pioneers (3-9) will also host Quinnipiac and Merrimack this weekend at the Pitt Center.