FAIRFIELD, CT (Nov. 17, 2023) – The Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) 2023 Volleyball Championship opening round wrapped up on Friday evening with No. 6 Iona and No. 5 Rider advancing to the semifinal round. The Gaels upended the Red Foxes, 3-2, while Rider swept Niagara, 3-0.
No. 6 Iona - 3 | No. 3 Marist - 2
Leo H. Mahoney Arena, FAIRFIELD, CT
Box Score
The 2023 MAAC Volleyball Championship opened with a hard-fought, five-set battle between No. 3 Marist (14-16) and No. 6 Iona (15-15), resulting in a win for the Gaels (25-23, 23-25, 21-25, 25-21, 15-12). The Gaels advance to the semifinal round on Saturday and to take on No. 2 Quinnipiac. Match time is set for 6 p.m.
Iona Notes and Notables
- Mackenzie Wiggins led the Gael offense with 23 kills.
- Emma Vu handed out 26 assists and Tamara Pichardo dished out 15.
- Iona landed eight service aces, led by Sanem Bas who tallied three of those aces.
- Defensively, MAAC Libero of the Year Hope Matschner had 29 digs and Ezzie Thompson put up five blocks.
- Iona advances to the semifinal round for the first time since winning the enter tournament in 2018.
- Friday’s semifinal matchup between the Gaels and Bobcats is a rematch of the 2022 quarterfinal match against the eventual champion, Quinnipiac.
Marist Notes and Notables
- Despite the defeat, the Red Fox dominated the match offensively, outscoring the Gaels 81.0 to 75.0 and outkilling Iona 74-58.
- MAAC Player of the Year Sasha van der Merwe recorded a double-double with 28 kills and 15 digs.
- Jordan Newblatt added 21 kills and Gabriella Heimbauer followed with 20 kills.
- Claire Lewis put up 63 assists.
- Red Foxes libero, Lillian Thomas had 28 digs on the afternoon, followed by Jordan Newblatt who chipped in with 20 digs.
No. 5 Rider - 3 | No. 4 Niagara - 0
Leo H. Mahoney Arena, FAIRFIELD, CT
Box Score
No. 5 Rider (12-16) swept Niagara (12-6) in three sets (25-23, 25-12, 25-16) for the upset in the second match of the MAAC Volleyball Championship opening round. Rider will advance to the semifinal round and will take on the No. 1 Fairfield at 3 pm.
Rider Notes and Notables
- The Broncs had a trio of players in double figures for kills led by Kiannisha Santiago tallying 12 kills on the night with an .524 average.
- Jenna Amaro (11) and Paige Giehtbrock (10) also reached double digit kills.
- Leading the offensive set was Ryley Frye with 25 assists.
- Keegan O’Connor and Molly Strah tallied 12 and 11 digs, respectively, while O’Connor had four service aces in the win.
- Rider returns to the semifinals for the third straight year.
- Tomorrow’s semifinal match-up between the Broncs and the top seeded Stags will be a rematch of the 2021 championship title match.
Niagara Notes and Notables
- Lexi Bapst and Jenna Vogen were the top attackers for Purple Eagles offense, each having seven kills.
- Kylie Blessing dished out 15 assists to lead Niagara and Casey Brown added 11 assists.
- Libero Bella Peroni had a match-high 17 digs.
The 2023 MAAC Volleyball Championship is a six-team, single-elimination championship taking place November 17-19, 2023 at Leo D. Mahoney Arena in Fairfield, CT. Fairfield University will serve as host of the three-day championship with the opening round on Friday, November 17, the semifinals on Saturday, November 18, and the championship match on Sunday, November 19. For all information regarding the 2023 MAAC Volleyball Championship, please visit
maacsports.com/vb.
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 43rd year of competition during the 2023-24 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius University, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College. Merrimack College and Sacred Heart University will join the MAAC as full members in the 2024-25 academic year, expanding the conference to 13 institutions.
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