NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona College volleyball team dispatched Fairfield in three sets 25-22, 25-15, 25-21 in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference action at the Hynes Center. The Gaels improved to 3-0 in MAAC play for the first time since 2008. It was the program's first three-set sweep over Fairfield since the MAAC Championship game in 2004 and the first in regular season play since 2002.
The first set was the closest of the three with 11 ties and six lead changes. After Fairfield knotted the score at 20-20, Iona scored four straight points to earn a 24-20 lead. Sophomore RS
Taylor Cembalisty ended a mini two-point rally by the Stags with a kill to end the set at 25-22.
The Gaels led wire-to-wire in set two leading 6-1 to start the frame. Prior to the final margin of 25-15, Iona's largest lead came at 21-12. The set was highlighted by a spectacular play by junior OH
Madisyn Spence. Spence set a pass from out of bounds on Fairfield's side of the court to continue a rally that was eventually killed by junior OH
Alicja Pawelec to make the score 14-7.
Fairfield came out flying after the intermission leading 3-0 out of the gate. The Stags led by as many as four before a nine-point rally by the Gaels opened up a 13-7 advantage they would not relinquish. Fairfield got to within 23-20 but the Maroon & Gold posted two of the next three points to win the match.
Pawelec led the Gaels with her team-leading fifth double-double of the year, posting 13 kills and 10 digs. She also led with a .290 hitting percentage. Cembalisty posted 10 kills while sophomore
Catrina Warren had eight kills, five blocks and two aces in the match.
Spence added six kills and 10 digs while sophomore S
Caris Myles posted 35 assists and seven digs in the win. Myles' MAAC assists average remains a MAAC best 13.6 per set. Senior libero
Theresa Harvey recorded 22 digs and was perfect on 31 serve receptions.
Fairfield was led by OH Caitlin Stapleton's 10 kills and .333 hitting percentage. She also had two blocks. RS Hayley Moyer had seven kills and the MAAC's No. 2 assist average setter Rachel Romansky posted 31 assists in the loss.
Iona is back in action next weekend when they continue MAAC play on the road. The Gaels take on Loyola Maryland on Saturday, Sep. 29 at 7:00 pm before an afternoon tilt at Rider on Sep. 30 at 1:00 pm.
