NEW ROCHELLE, NY — The Iona College volleyball team lost to the MAAC’s top ranked Fairfield Stags in three sets (18-25, 20-25, 24-26) on Saturday afternoon. Senior Karly White and sophomore Claire Archibald led the offense with eight kills apiece in the loss.
Overall, the Gaels registered a .164 hitting percentage, compared to a .233 hitting percentage for the Stags.
Iona opened up a 2-0 lead in the first set and continued to go back and forth with Fairfield, but a three-point swing late in the match after an Iona timeout put the Stags up 18-14. The Maroon & Gold brought it back as close as 19-17, but four consecutive points put Fairfield ahead for good on its way to a 25-18 first set victory.
In the second set, both teams traded points back and forth to open the set. After an Iona timeout midway through the set, the Stags used a 9-4 run to put the Gaels away heading into the intermission.
Down two sets to none, Iona did not give in. The Gaels fought from behind all throughout the third set and didn’t allow the Stags to pull away. Trailing 20-15 late in the set, Iona used a 6-3 run to cut its deficit to just two points. Fairfield won the next point and served for match point, but Iona scored four straight points to tie the score at 24. The Stags quelled the momentum and won the next two and take the match in straight sets.
Sophomore Emma Rose recorded a team-high 21 assists and sophomore Jessica Paolucci had a game-high 21 digs in the loss. Sophomore Kait Ferretti added 13 assists and freshman Tess Connolly had five kills and five digs.
The Maroon & Gold will return to action against Manhattan next Friday at 7:00 PM at the Hynes Center.