LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. – The Marist volleyball team fell 3-0 (25-16, 25-14, 25-15) to No. 1 seeded Fairfield at the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Tournament Finals at the Alumni Recreation Center on the campus of Siena College. The Red Foxes finished their season 21-9 overall.

Freshman Liz Gassman (Glenside, Pa.) led Marist, going 7-1-15, posting a .400 attack percentage. Senior Audra Brady (Allentown, Pa.) claimed 20 assists, while junior Brooke Zywick (Garden City, Mich.) tallied nine digs. The Red Foxes recorded a .092 attack percentage, going 27-18-98.

In the first set, the Stags jumped out to an early lead, which they maintained for the first half of the set. After trailing by four, Gassman posted a kill to bring the set within two. Junior Mackenzie Stephens (Holland, Mich.) claimed another kill for Marist to continue the two-point trail. Halfway through the set (9-13), Stephens laid up to the front line to post a kill to put the Red Foxes within three. Marist was down by five before going on a three-point run to bring the set within two (15-17). The Stags went on to jump out to a nine-point lead. Marist claimed a kill from Gassman to end a 7-0 run from the Stags. This was as close as Marist would get before Fairfield claimed the first set on a kill.

Marist answered back claiming the first point on a kill from Stephens in the second set. The Red Foxes started the second set with a 3-1 run, before the Stags came back to tie the score and reclaim the lead. The first half of the second set saw four tie scores and four lead changes. Halfway through the set, the Red Foxes snapped a Stags' four-point run on a net violation, trailing Fairfield 8-11. The Red Foxes would go on a two-point run to bring the set within two (11-16). The Stags responded with an eight-point run to set Marist apart by 11 points. The Red Foxes claimed a point off of a ball handling error, but could get no closer before Fairfield took the second set on a serving error.

Down two sets to none, Stephens claimed a kill to post the first set point for the Red Foxes. Halfway through the set, Gassman nailed a kill to have Marist trail 8-11. Marist followed with a block from sophomore Courtney Shaw (Centennial, Co.) and Stephens to bring the set within three again.  The Red Foxes then added a block from Brady and Stephens to bring the set within two (10-12). Stags went on to post a 7-point lead, before sophomore Kelsey Lahey (Bowling Green, Ohio) claimed a kill to put the set at 13-19. Marist added a kill from Shaw to put the set within eight (15-22), but that was as close as the Red Foxes would get. Fairfield claimed the third on an attack error.

Stephens and Lahey were both named to the MAAC All-Tournament Team for their performances over the weekend.

The Red Foxes shared the regular season Championship Title with the Stags, as both teams finished 14-4 in the MAAC. The Red Foxes boasted a 20-8 regular season record, while the Stags finished 17-12.

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