Box Score

FAIRFIELD, Conn. -  The Fairfield University volleyball team won its fourth straight match and remained undefeated in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) with a 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-18) victory over Iona College this afternoon in Alumni Hall. 

Junior Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines) paced the Stags (6-9, 4-0 MAAC) with a season-high 20 kills on .548 hitting. Sophomore Lauren Hughes (Costa Mesa, Calif./Mater Dei) chipped in with 10 kills. 

Sophomore Alex Lopez (Fort Collins, Colo./Rocky Mountain) and senior Brandi Higa (Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Baptist Academy) each notched a match-high 11 digs. Senior Karlie Urbaniak (Canton, Minn./Mabel-Canton) added 10 digs, five kills, three blocks, and four assists while rookie Lauren Balmert (Cranberry Twp., Pa./Seneca Valley) had 35 assists and nine digs. 

Iona (9-6, 2-2 MAAC) chipped away at a four-point deficit in the first set, tying the frame 13-13. After a Fairfield timeout, Urbaniak put home a set from Balmert to spark a 5-0 run. The Stags continued to roll out-scoring the Gaels, 7-3, the rest of the way. 

The Gaels opened up a 12-9 lead to start the second stanza. But a block by Urbaniak and Kendal Dirkin (Oak Park, Ill.) and back-to-back kills from Hughes and Mann tied the score 12-12. The two teams continued to trade points, tying six times until the score became even at 21-21 on a kill by Mann. Urbaniak followed by serving the next four points to give the Stags a 24-21 lead. A kill by Iona's Sarah Wiener stopped the run, but it was not enough. 

Fairfield began the third frame on a 7-3 run, but Iona came back to tie the score 8-8 on a kill by Rachel Whitten. The Stags had pushed out to a 15-12 lead when Urbaniak stepped to the line and served five straight points. The Gaels' Allison Nieters had similar success, serving five-straight to pull Iona within 20-18.  After a kill by Mann stopped the Gael's run, freshman Haililani Pokipala (Honolulu, Hawaii/Sacred Hearts Academy) served the final four points of the match. 

Fairfield hit .205 on the afternoon while holding Iona to an attack percentage of .087 with just 26 kills. The Stags had six service aces while blocks were even at five. 

Fairfield returns to action next weekend hosting Niagara on Oct. 4 at 3 p.m. and Canisius on Oct. 5 at 2 p.m. in Alumni hall.