POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. - The Marist volleyball team remained undefeated in Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference play and unbeaten at home with a 3-1 victory over Fairfield on Sept. 24. The Red Foxes sit atop the MAAC with an 11-2 overall record and 3-0 mark in conference play.
Marist rebounded from a 32-30 first set loss to win the next three sets 25-20, 25-21, and 27-25 in a match that featured 37 ties and 15 lead changes. Down 24-20 in the first set, the Red Foxes ripped off four straight points to tie the score with the help of consecutive service aces from sophomore Amanda Schlegel (Austin, Texas). Fairfield (5-8, 1-2 MAAC)Â sealed the set with a three-point streak of its own.
No team led by more than four in the second set, but Marist jumped out to a 22-18 lead on five consecutive points with senior Brooke Zywick (Garden City, Mich.) serving. The Red Foxes took their first lead in the third set at the halfway point after a kill from sophomore Devon Dawson (Frisco, Texas) made it 13-12. Marist scored 12 of the next 19 points from that moment on. The Red Foxes took both of their timeouts in the final set during a 5-0 Fairfield run that made it 22-18, but a pair of forced attack errors ended the match and gave Marist its seventh straight victory.
Schlegel picked up her first double-double of the season, tallying 54 assists and 15 digs. Four Red Foxes tallied double-digit kills, including junior Courtney Shaw (Centennial, Colo.) who had a team-high 15. Senior Becca Jones' (Arlington, Va.) 25 digs set a career high.
Senior Marilyn Peizer had match-high 22 kills for the Stags to go along with a .346 hitting percentage, while sophomore Bella Guanciale finished with 27 digs.
Marist converted 71 percent of its attacks in the third set and held a 103-82 advantage in digs for the entire match.Â
The Red Foxes will begin a four-match road trip when they go up against Manhattan on Sept. 27 and take on Iona Sept. 28. First serve for both matches is scheduled for 1 p.m.
