Fairfield Defeats Manhattan 3-1 in MAAC Semifinal
MAAC Sports
LOUDONVILLE, N.Y. –Top-seeded Fairfield University earned a 3-1 victory over fourth-seeded Manhattan College in the first semifinal of the 2013 MAAC Volleyball Championship at Siena’s Alumni Recreation Center.
The Jaspers’ took the first set 26-24. Fairfield built a 19-15 lead before a kill by Juliana Behrans started a Manhattan 4-0 run to tie it up at 19. The set seen three more ties at 22, 23, and 24 before Allie Yamashiro set up Malia McGuiness for the final kill to close out the set at 26.
The Stags took the second set 26-24. Manhattan took an early 3-0 lead before Fairfield tied the set and then got a kill by Maddie Fitzpatrick to give Fairfield a 4-3 lead. The Stags did not allow Manhattan to regain the lead in the set.
In the third set, Fairfield took an early lead and maintained it for the remainder of the set winning 25-19. The Stags never trailed and the set was only tied once at 1-1. Hayley Moyer, Marilyn Peizer, and Caitlin Stapleton each registered four kills for the Stags in the third set.
In the fourth and final set, it remained close throughout until the Stags jumped out to an eight-point lead at 21-13. The Jaspers’ got the set as close as 24-21 before falling to the defending champions 25-22.
Stapleton finished the match with 18 kills while Moyer and Peizer each registered 14 a piece and MAAC Setter of the Year Rachel Romansky recorded 55 assists.
Fairfield earns a spot in the championship game for the 15th time tomorrow at 1 p.m. They will face the winner of the second semifinal between No. 2 Marist and No. 3 Iona. The winner of that match will earn the MAAC's automatic bid to the 2013 NCAA Division I Volleyball Championship.