NEW ROCHELLE, NY - The Iona University volleyball team fell in straight sets to the first-place Fairfield Stags (21-25, 21-25, 16-25) on Saturday afternoon in the Hynes Center. With a 11-5 conference record, the Gaels are currently tied for third place in the MAAC standings with two regular season matches remaining.
Match SUMMARY
Set 1 (21-25)
Kills from
Emma Jacobs,
Fleur Wiersma and
Greta Stjade guided Iona to an early lead but the Stags answered using a 5-1 stretch to take a 10-7 lead. Fairfield went on to extend their lead to 19-12, but Iona managed to get back into the set after a 5-0 run that was sparked by three kills from
Jen Soto. Following a timeout, both teams traded points and after a kill from
Julia Thomas, the Gaels pulled within two points, trailing 23-21. However, Fairfield closed out the set on two consecutive kills to grab the opening frame.
Set 2 (21-25)
Back-to-back kills from Wiersma gave Iona the early 4-2 lead, and after a 4-0 run, Iona pushed the lead to 10-6. The Stags countered with a 10-4 run, to grab the lead, taking advantage of multiple errors from the Gaels during the stretch. Trailing 18-17,
Elena Bianchi knotted the score up with a kill, and two points later, Jacobs brought the set to its tenth tie of the frame following a kill. Fairfield broke the tie with a kill from Sara Daniels, beginning a 6-2 run that Fairfield used to close out the set.
Set 3 (21-25)
Fairfield quickly took control of the third-set, jumping out to a 14-5 lead as they wouldn't relinquish the lead. Bianchi recorded a kill that cut Fairfield's lead to 17-12, but the Stags maintained control, after a 7-2 run, setting up Fairfield with several match points. Iona fought off the first two as
Mackenzie Wiggins chipped in a kill ,but KJ Johsnson ended the match with a kill to give Fairfield the straight sets victory.
Leaders
- Hope Matschner poured in a match-high 24 digs to lead the defense.
- Fleur Wiersma reached double-figures in kills (12) for the third straight match.
- Soto (8) and Bianchi (6) rounded out Iona's offensive attack in the loss.
UP NEXT:
The Gaels are right back in action tomorrow afternoon in the Hynes Center against Quinnipiac. First serve is scheduled for 1:00 pm, and the match will be streamed on ESPN3.
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