HEMPSTEAD, N.Y. – Fairfield University Volleyball concluded the weekend and a season-opening eight-match road swing with a 3-1 loss on Saturday against Liberty.
Aislin Oldach paced the Stags with 11 kills, and
Katelyn Cook led the back row with 17 digs.
Fairfield wraps up the Hofstra Invitational at 1-1 following Friday's win over Army West Point. The Stags are 4-4 overall going into their first home weekend on Sept. 17-19 at Leo D. Mahoney Arena. Liberty went 2-1 on Long Island this week to improve to 6-4 on the campaign. The Flames took today's match by scores of 19-25, 25-18, 25-15, and 25-22.
Oldach was the lone Stag in double figures with her 11 kills.
Emma Bortolotti added nine for the Stags, and
Mia Jean Claude put down six from the pins.
Julie Dufourt provided a spark in relief with four kills on five swings appearing in only the fourth set.
Zofia Sykut and
Noella Migliuri ran Fairfield's 6-2 offense and finished with 17 and 15 assists, respectively. Back row specialists
Natalie Carlin and
Katelyn Cook chipped in four assists apiece.
Cook headed the defensive effort with 17 digs. Migliuri added 12 to complete a double-double, and Carlin posted 10 in a DS role. At the net,
Harlan Wyche – the Metro Conference's leading blocker –had a hand in five of the Stags' 11 team blocks.
Sophia Nagy also got a piece of five, including a solo stuff, and Bortolotti played a part in four rejections.
Liberty, which was a 20-win team out of Conference USA last fall, was guided by a match-best 14 kills from Jenna Otts. Flames' libero Melis Ural matched Cook with 17 digs.
Fairfield opens the home slate and concludes non-conference play next weekend at Leo D. Mahoney Arena. The Stags will play three matches in three days from Sept. 17-19 as they host Central Connecticut State, Brown, and Middle Tennessee for the Fairfield Invitational.
Admission is free for all fans to all Fairfield Volleyball home matches this season.
