The Fairfield University volleyball team traveled to Loudonville, N.Y. on Saturday and remained perfect in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) play with a 3-2 (22-25, 25-22, 25-12, 14-25, 15-13) victory over Siena College.  The Stags improve to 9-9 on the year overall and 7-0 in league play, while the Saints dropped to 7-8 on the year and 5-2 in MAAC action.

The fifth and deciding set was another back-and-forth affair, with the Stags leading for a majority of the set.  The Stags were never ahead by more than three points in the set, and took a 10-7 lead on a Kendal Dirkin kill.  Siena would rally at that point, scoring four of the next five points to take a 12-11 lead.  Lauren Hughes recorded a kill for Fairfield to knot the score at 12-12, but the Saints answered with a point of their own to take a 13-12 lead.  An Alex Lopez kill on the next point once again knotted the score, 13-13, and gave the serve back to Fairfield.

Katie Mann stepped to the service line and launched her sixth ace of the match, to give Fairfield match point.  After a Siena timeout, Mann's next serve led to an attacking error by the Saints and gave the Stags at 15-13 win in the set and the match victory.

The first two sets were both decided by 25-22 scores, with the team that trailed rallying late to take the set.  Siena earned the set one victory after trailing 16-10 and 20-15, by scoring the final four points.  Fairfield returned the favor in set two, trailing 16-12, and then tallying the last four points in pull out the victory.

The third and fourth sets were both more one-sided, with the Stags taking the third set by a score of 14-12 and the Saints capturing the fourth 25-14.

Alex Lopez led the Stags with a double-double, recording team-highs in kills, 14, and digs, 20, to go along with an ace and a block assist.  On the offensive side Lauren Hughes had 12 kills and Katie Mann had 11.  Brandi Higa finished with 17 digs while Karlie Urbaniak had 10.

Lauren Balmert had 44 assists for the Stags, as well as four kills, without committing a hitting error.  She also had a block and six block assists.

Burgandy McCurty led Siena with 23 kills and 20 digs in the losing effort.

Fairfield returns home to host Loyola at Alumni Hall at 2 p.m. on Sunday.