POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Fairfield University volleyball team clinched a share of its fourth-straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Regular Season title as the Stags defeated Marist College 3-0 (30-27, 30-27, 30-26) this afternoon at the McCann Center. Fairfield's ninth consecutive win also secures the Stags' third 20-win season in four years.

The Stags (20-10, 17-1 MAAC) have won 19 of their last 21 matches with all 19 wins against conference foes. Fairfield and Siena are the only two teams in the MAAC to currently have one conference loss. Barring a Saints loss in their final conference match tomorrow, the two teams will share the MAAC Regular Season title. Siena and Fairfield split the season series with each other.

Senior Kelly Oliver (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) had 14 kills and eight digs while sophomore Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) had 12 kills and a pair of blocks. Junior Karlie Urbaniak (Canton, Minn./Mabel-Canton) was also in double figures with 11 kills. Sophomore Barbie Thistle (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) recorded 44 assists and five digs while rookie Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) recorded nine kills and three total blocks.

Fairfield trailed Marist (10-19, 6-11 MAAC) in the first game but came back to tie the match 23-23 on a block by Mann and Hughes. The Stags then took the lead on a block by Mann and Urbaniak. Fairfield was able to out-score Marist, 6-3, the rest of the way for the win.

The Stags would trail once again in game two, but Mann tied the match 22-22 with a kill off of a set by Thistle. Fairfield opened up a 27-24 lead but the Red Foxes would knot the match at 27-27. The Stags fought off the attack to take the 30-27 win.

In game three, Marist recovered from an early five-point deficit to take a late 24-22 lead. Fairfield battled back as Mann tied the game, 26-26, with a kill to prompt a Marist time out. The Stags cruised out of the breaking recording four unanswered points.

Next up for the Stags is the 2007 MAAC Championship. Fairfield hosts the event, Nov. 18-19, at Alumni Hall. The semifinals will be held at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. on Nov. 18, while the final will be played on Nov. 19 at 7 p.m. and will air live on ESPNU.