FAIRFIELD, Conn. - For the third straight year Siena College (24-7) stood in the way of Fairfield University (21-11) and a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Volleyball Championship crown. This time as the Saints came from behind to edge the Stags 3-2 (20-30, 30-26, 27-30, 30-26, 12-15) in a nearly two-hour, forty minute battle in a raucous Alumni Hall.

Senior Kelly Oliver (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) led the Stags with a double-double, recording 26 kills and 26 digs, both career highs, while junior Karlie Urbaniak (Canton, Minn./Mabel-Canton) posted a career-best 19 digs.

Sophomores Barbie Thistle (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) and Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) were both named to the MAAC All-Tournament after a weekend of outstanding performances. Thistle finished the night with a double-double which included a career-high 64 assists and seven digs, while Mann had 16 kills on .400 hitting and five total blocks.

Defensively senior Jazmin Pa'akaula (Hilo, Hawaii/St. Joseph) logged 27 digs and three aces while senior Lindsey Lee (Hilo, Hawaii/St. Joseph) had 17 digs. Junior Brandi Higa (Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Baptist Academy) had 13 digs and two aces.

For the match, the MAAC Regular Season Co-Champions were nearly even. Siena hit .286 with 80 kills while Fairfield hit .262 with 79.  The Stags out-blocked the Saints 8.0-5.5. Siena held a slight 9-8 advantage in service aces and had a 113-104 edge in digs.

Fairfield came out of the gate strong hitting an impressive .419 and coming away with a 30-20 victory in game one. Siena opened up a 19-13 lead in the middle of the second game and seemed to have the game in hand. The Stags stormed back pulling within 27-25 but the Saints were able to hang on for the win.

The third frame was an intense battle with 14 ties and five lead changes. Freshman Lauren Wagner (Eagan, Minn./Cretin-Derham Hall) gave the Stags a 23-19 lead with a kill but Siena used a 5-1 burst tie the game 24-24. The Saints took a 27-26 advantage but Fairfield tallied four straight points for the win.

Siena opened up an early four-point lead in game four but Fairfield pulled within 17-16 on a kill by rookie Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei). The Saints pushed their lead to 23-20 but the Stags were able to pull within two points. A 3-0 spurt by the Saints widened the gap to five points and outlasted Fairfield for the win.

In the deciding game, Siena's Kau'i Robello served the first four points. Fairfield continued the fight pulling within 11-10 on a kill by Mann. The Saints returned their lead to two points, but Oliver pulled the Stags within 13-12. That's as close as Fairfield would get as a kill by Burgandy McCurty and a kill by Nadiege Honore gave Siena the win.

Hughes had seven kills and seven digs for Fairfield while Wagner added six kills.

McCurty led Siena with 24 kills on .431 hitting while Honore had 21 kills and 16 digs. Setter April London had a double-double with 67 assists and 13 digs. Libero Kathi Kobayashi posted a match-high 28 digs.

Fairfield hits the road for Thanksgiving break travelling to the Fremont Investment & Loan Invitational hosted by Cal State-Northridge. Fairfield takes on the host on Nov. 23 at 7 p.m. (PST) followed by a meeting with Cal-State Fullerton on Nov. 24 at 4 p.m.