FAIRFIELD, Conn. - Marist sophomore setter Audra Brady (Allentown, Pa.) recorded her 1,000th career assist Wednesday night, part of a 23 assists, 12 digs performance, in the Red Foxes' 3-0 loss (16-25, 23-25, 19-25) at Fairfield in a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference match. Brady is just the sixth player at Marist to reach the 1,000 assist milestone.
Grace Hill (Portage, Mich.) led the Red Foxes with team-highs of 11 kills and 13 digs. Stephanie Robinett (Sugar Land, Texas) had seven kills and Brooke Zywick (Garden City, Mich.) added 10 digs.
It was a struggle for Marist (11-13, 8-6 MAAC) from the start as Fairfield jumped out to a 3-1 lead in the first set. The Red Foxes fought back to take a 9-7 lead on three kills by Hill and two by Joanna Foss (Northville, Mich.). The Stags (16-9, 13-2 MAAC) answered right back with three straight points before another kill by Hill and a Zywick service ace regained the lead for Marist at 11-10. With the score tied at 15 however, Fairfield went on an 10-1 run to close out the set.
The second set started out better as a Brady kill helped open an early 4-2 lead for the Red Foxes. After the Stags took the lead back at 8-5, Robinett opened and closed a 5-1 run, including a block by Brady and Kayla Burton (Kissimmee, Fla.), that left the score at 10-9 in favor of Marist. The score would go back-and-forth until a solo block and kill by Hill, part of a 4-0 run, gave Marist a late 23-20 lead. The Stags would respond however, finishing the set with another streak, this one consisting of five straight points, to win 25-23.
Back-to-back service aces by Brady opened the third set well for Marist. After a kill by Hill moved the lead to 6-4 however, Fairfield scored four unanswered to grab an 8-6 lead. Kills by Marisa Gilbert (Pflugerville, Texas) and Robinett helped the Red Foxes regain the lead at 9-8, but that would be the last advantage they would hold. The Stags scored 13 of the next 18 points before Marist could put any kind of a run together. Two kills by Hill and a kill and service ace by Gilbert cut the deficit to 23-18, but it was too late as Fairfield took the set 25-19 and the match.
The Red Foxes will make their annual trip to Buffalo this weekend where they will take on Canisius and Niagara on Saturday and Sunday. Both contests are 2 p.m. matches.
