Nov. 4, 2006
FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Three Stags posted double-doubles to help Fairfield clinch its third-straight Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Regular Season title this afternoon with a 3-1 (30-22, 26-30, 30-18, 30-12) victory against Manhattan on Senior Day. With the win, the Stags increase their winning streak to 16 matches as they improve to 19-6 overall and 16-0 in the MAAC.
For the second-straight match, juniors Lindsey Lee (Hilo, Hawaii/St. Joseph) and Kelly Oliver (San Diego, Calif./La Jolla) recorded double-doubles while freshman Barbie Thistle (Bakersfield, Calif./Bakersfield) tallied the third.
Oliver led the way with a career-high 17 kills and 10 digs, along with four total blocks and a .412 hitting percentage, while Lee notched 15 kills, 14 digs and three aces. Thistle posted her seventh double-double of the year with 43 assists and 13 digs. She also added eight kills and three total blocks.
Also notching double figures was freshman Katie Mann (Del Mar, Calif./Torrey Pines), who recorded 10 kills while tying a career-high with six total blocks. Sophomore Brandi Higa (Honolulu, Hawaii/Hawaii Baptist Academy) recorded 11 digs as well.
Junior Lauren Campbell (San Diego, Calif./Mount Carmel) and sophomore Karlie Urbaniak (Canton, Minn./Mabel-Canton) added some defense on the frontline as each registered three total blocks.
Senior Natalie Barba (Austin, Texas/Westwood) chipped in with five kills and two block assists. She tied Corrine Carlson for second on Fairfield's career total blocks list with 327 and is five block assists away from tying the school record of 284 set by in 1995.
Fairfield came out strong in game one, opening a 20-13 lead. Manhattan would cut the deficit to 24-20, but it was not enough as the Stags closed out the game on a 6-2 run.
The Jaspers got the better of the Stags in game two, defeating Fairfield by a score of 30-26, to snap the Stags' 28-game unbeaten streak. The Jaspers chipped away at Fairfield's 10-4 lead to tie the match 11-11. Manhattan would go up 14-13, before Lee stopped the run with a kill in the back corner. The Jaspers continued to fight taking an 18-14 lead, but Lee would again tie the score with a kill, at 18-18. On the next point, the Jaspers' Sherryta Stokes recorded one of her 17 kills on the day to put Manhattan ahead to stay.
Fairfield controlled in the final two games as it opened up large leads to start each set and never looked back.
The Stags out-blocked the Jaspers, 12-3, and held a 62-46 advantage in kills. Fairfield hit .312 for the match while Manhattan hit just .063.
Fairfield's current winning streak remains fifth-longest active winning streak among NCAA Division I schools this season.
Fairfield wrapped up play in Alumni Hall with an 11-1 mark. The lone loss of the season came against St. John's, which has won 17-straight, on Aug. 26. Since then, the Stags have won nine-consecutive home contests. Fairfield defended its home court well this year, dropping just five individual games all season.
There are two more regular season conference matches left as Fairfield heads to Saint Peter's on Nov. 8 and Loyola on Nov. 11. The Stags will be the top seed in the 2006 MAAC Volleyball Championship held Nov. 16-19 at the Disney Wide World of Sports complex in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
