Box Score
RIVERDALE, N.Y. – It may still be early in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) season, but the Manhattan College volleyball team made a statement on Saturday afternoon. The Jaspers (9-7, 3-1 MAAC) welcomed defending MAAC champion Fairfield (3-10, 1-2 MAAC) to Draddy Gymnasium and, after coming back to win the first set, dominated sets two and three en route to a 26-24, 25-17, 25-19 triumph. The win snapped Manhattan's five-match losing streak against the Stags.
“We were ready today,” Head Coach Mark Jones said. “We came in focused and had a good game plan, and the players followed it.”
Fairfield jumped out to an early advantage in the first set, going up 13-7 on a kill by Caitlin Stapleton. After the Stags increased their lead to 18-11, the Jaspers rallied for three straight points, pulling within 18-14 on a service ace by Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii). The Jaspers eventually evened the score at 20-20 before another Stapleton kill put Fairfield back in front, 21-20. However, Manhattan responded with a 4-0 rally to reach set point. Fairfield fought off three set point opportunities, though, getting back even at 24-24. The Jaspers got to set point again at 25-24, and this time they converted, as Sydney Volovski (Oswego, Ill.) and Erin Weis (Omaha, Neb.) teamed up for a block to complete the 26-24 set win.
In the second set, it was Manhattan that took the early lead, as the Jaspers used a 5-0 run to turn a 4-3 deficit into an 8-4 advantage. Fairfield responded by taking seven of the next nine points, regaining the lead at 11-10. However, the Stags wouldn't win consecutive points again for the remainder of the set. Manhattan went on a 7-1 rally to build a 17-12 cushion, then extended their lead to 23-15 on an Anna Kitlar (Kiel, Germany) ace. The Jasper offense was on fire in the set. Manhattan committed just two errors and hit .344 (13 kills, 32 attempts), taking the frame by a 25-17 count to go up 2-0 in the match.
The teams traded the first eight points of the third set before a Volovski kill ignited an 8-2 Manhattan rally that gave the Jaspers a 12-6 lead. Fairfield scored the next three points to make it 12-9, but the Jaspers immediately responded with a 3-0 run of their own to bring the lead back to six at 15-9. After the Stags pulled within two at 21-19, Juliana Behrens (Honolulu, Hawaii) and McGuinness teamed up for a block that started a match-ending 4-0 Manhattan spurt. On match point, Ellie Wiekamp (Laguna Niguel, Calif.) pounded a kill to end a long rally, giving Manhattan the set, 25-19, and the match, 3-0.
“Overall, I think our game's improving,” Jones said. “Everyday we're getting better. We distribute the ball, but any one of our players on the court can take over a match.”
Volovski slammed a match-high 11 kills and hit .375, committing just two errors in 24 attempts. She also recorded five blocks. Kitlar posted five blocks, as well, as Manhattan registered nine stuffs as a team. Wiekamp finished with 10 kills and seven digs, while Allie Yamashiro (Kapolei, Hawaii) tallied a team-high 11 digs. Jade Gray (Boise, Idaho) distributed 21 assists for the Jaspers, who hit a combined .160 (32-16-100) in the match.
Marilyn Peizer paced Fairfield with nine kills, while Hayley Moyer collected seven kills and three blocks. Carsen Mata handed out 20 assists. Hadley Orr had a match-high 17 digs to go along with five kills, and Bella Guanciale added 14 digs, as the Stags outdug the Jaspers 45-44. Fairfield hit just .017 (32-30-117) as a team.
With the victory, Manhattan moved into second place in the MAAC standings, trailing only undefeated Siena. On Sunday, they host the MAAC's newest member, Quinnipiac (2-11, 0-1 MAAC) for a 1 p.m. showdown. The Bobcats play at Iona later on Saturday.