Defending MAAC Champion Fairfield University Selected As Preseason Volleyball Favorites, Day Named Preseason Player of the Year
MAAC Sports
EDISON, NJ – Fairfield University was selected as the 2016 MAAC Volleyball Preseason favorites by the leagues 10 head coaches. The Stags, who are the defending MAAC Volleyball Champions, totaled 96 points and received seven first-place votes in the poll. Stags junior Skyler Day was voted as the 2016 MAAC Volleyball Preseason Player of the Year.
Fairfield University finished 14-4 in conference play last season and 21-10 overall en route to winning the 2015 MAAC Championship. The Stags knocked off Manhattan College in five sets in the semifinals and then defeated Marist College, three sets to one in the championship game. Last season, the Stags led the MAAC in assists (1,498), blocks (246) and were tied for first with 1,578 kills. Junior outside hitter Skyler Day earns Preseason Player of the Year honors after a year in which she was named to the All-Championship and All-MAAC First Team. Day led the conference with 420 kills and 468.5 total points. Her 3.59 kills and 4.00 points per set average ranked third in the MAAC. Her teammate, Megan O’Sullivan joins Day on the 2016 Preseason All-MAAC team. O’Sullivan was an All-MAAC and All-Championship team selection. She ranked second in the MAAC with a .306 hitting percentage. The Stags have been crowned MAAC Volleyball Champions eight times in program history.
Siena College finished in second place in the preseason poll, totaling 84 points and garnering the final three first place votes. The Saints were 12-6 in MAAC play and 16-13 overall a season ago. Siena finished second in the MAAC in digs per set (17.48), third in assists per set (12.94), and kills per set (12.94) and blocks per set (2.02). Returning to the court for the Saints this season are the 2015 MAAC Volleyball Setter of the Year, Haley Howell and the 2015 MAAC Volleyball Player of the Year Briana Flagg. The duo was voted onto the 2016 MAAC Volleyball Preseason All-MAAC Team. Flagg led the conference with 4.01 kills per set and 4.28 points per set. Howell had 1,121 total assists and 10.38 assists per set, both ranking first in the MAAC. The Saints have the most championships in league history with nine.
Marist College was voted to finish in third place, totaling 74 points. The Red Foxes were 13-5 in the MAAC and 21-10 overall in 2015. Marist knocked off Niagara University in straight sets in the semifinals before falling to the Stags in the championship game. The Red Foxed ranked first in the MAAC in hitting percentage (.215), second in service aces (221) and third in digs per set (17.32). Key returners for Marist include All-MAAC Second Team member Amanda Schlegel, and All-Championship Team members Lexi Millington and Kelsey Ediger. Marist will look to make it to its fourth straight championship game in 2016.
Manhattan College received 68 points, coming in a tie for fourth place with Rider University in the preseason poll. The Jaspers finished tied for third in the conference last season with a 12-6 record in MAAC play and 20-14 overall record. Manhattan knocked off fifth seeded Rider in straight sets in first round action a season ago before losing to eventual champion Fairfield in five sets. Manhattan led the NCAA with 242 team service aces and had three players rank in the top five in the conference in service aces. Claire Van Dyk, Allie Yamashiro and Alyssa Rehrer ranked third, fourth and fifth, respectively in service aces in 2015.
Rider University went 11-7 in conference play and 16-17 overall in 2015. The Broncs led the MAAC in digs (2,301) and digs per set (17.70.) Kaitlyn Griffin was voted onto the 2016 Preseason All-MAAC team after a season in which she finished second in blocks per set with a 0.99 average. Rider will have the 2015 MAAC Volleyball Rookie of the Year, Hailey Riede, back on the court this season. Riede ranked second among freshmen in the MAAC in hitting percentage (.240) and ranked third among freshmen in kills per set (2.59).
Rounding out the 2016 MAAC Volleyball Preseason poll are Niagara University, Canisius College, Iona College, Quinnipiac University and Saint Peter’s University. The Purple Eagles were 9-9 in conference play and 13-17 overall in 2015. They upset third seeded and then defending champion Siena College in the opening round in straight sets to make it to the semifinals. The 2015 Libero of the Year, Rylee Hunt makes the 2016 All-MAAC Preseason Team after leading the MAAC with 5.21 digs per set and second in total digs with 573.
Katlyn Tyler was named to 2016 Preseason All-MAAC team for Canisius College after a year in which the Griffs went 9-9 in conference play and 11-19 overall. Tyler ranked second in the MAAC with 3.77 kills and 4.06 points per set. Iona College finished 2015 with a 7-11 MAAC and 10-20 overall record. 2015 All-Rookie Team Selections Claire Archibald and Jessica Paolucci return for the Gaels this season. Archibald ranked third with 3.32 kills and 3.58 points per set in her freshman season and Paolucci ranked fifth in the MAAC with 4.72 digs per set. Quinnipiac University went 1-17 in conference play and 3-28 overall last season. The Bobcats finished second in blocks per set with 2.09 and welcome back 2015 MAAC All-Rookie Team member Jen Coffey. Saint Peter’s University went 2-16 in the MAAC and 4-24 overall in 2015.Marlena Budna, a 2015 All-MAAC Rookie Team selection, led the MAAC with 1.02 blocks per set.
Preseason Coaches' Poll
|
1.
|
Fairfield (7)
|
96
|
|
2.
|
Siena (3)
|
84
|
|
3.
|
Marist
|
74
|
|
T4.
|
Manhattan
|
68
|
|
T4.
|
Rider
|
68
|
|
6.
|
Niagara
|
52
|
|
7.
|
Canisius
|
40
|
|
8.
|
Iona
|
32
|
|
9.
|
Quinnipiac
|
23
|
|
10.
|
Saint Peter’s
|
13
|
Preseason All-MAAC Team:
|
Player
|
Position
|
School
|
|
Katlyn Tyler
|
Outside Hitter
|
Canisius
|
|
Skyler Day
|
Outside Hitter
|
Fairfield
|
|
Megan O'Sullivan
|
Middle Hitter
|
Fairfield
|
|
Rylee Hunt
|
Libero
|
Niagara
|
|
Kaitlyn Griffin
|
Middle Hitter
|
Rider
|
|
Briana Flagg
|
Outside Hitter
|
Siena
|
|
Haley Howell
|
Setter
|
Siena
|
2016 Preseason Player of the Year
|
Skyler Day
|
Outside Hitter
|
Fairfield
|
For all up-to-date information regarding MAAC Volleyball, visit maacsports.com. For championship information, visit maacsports.com/volleyball