NEW ROCHELLE, NY — Behind a five-set victory against Marist this afternoon in the Hynes Center, the Iona College volleyball team has clinched one of the six spots in the MAAC Championship next weekend at Fairfield. It is the first time the Gaels have appeared in the tournament since 2014.
The first round of the MAAC Championship is schedule to begin the three-day tournament at Fairfield on Thursday, November 17. The Maroon & Gold join Fairfield, Niagara and the Red Foxes as teams to clinch as of Saturday afternoon. Fairfield and Niagara have clinched the top two spots respectively in the tournament, with the final four positions still to be determined.
In today’s five-set win, Claire Archibald led the attack for Iona (13-17, 10-7) with 15 kills in addition to 13 digs, four blocks and three service aces. Meanwhile, three others joined Archibald in double-digit kills with Jamie notching 13 while Tess Connolly and Mia Bonsignore adding 11 each. Emma Rose set the offense for 52 assists, two shy of her season-best. Defensively, Taylor Cole joined Archibald in double-digit digs with 10.
Megan Fergus was the lone Red Fox (13-15, 10-7 MAAC) to tally double-figure kills, recording 12 on a .474 hitting percentage. In addition to leading the team with 38 assists, Taylor VanDerBiezen recorded five aces and 15 digs along with three blocks.
After Iona claimed sets one and three and Marist picked up wins in games two and four, a deciding fifth set started with the Maroon & Gold gaining momentum first with a block from Smith. The Iona lead continued to grow as Archibald connected on a kill followed by a solo block to give the hosts a 9-4 advantage. Leading 10-7 following a small run from Marist, three straight errors on the part of the Red Foxes allowed Iona to create a 13-7 margin that included a block from Smith and Karla Johnson.
Following an Iona service error on match point that gave the serve back to Marist, Connolly put the finishing touches on the match and set with a kill off a Rose set, one of Connolly’s three kills in the frame. The Maroon & Gold posted a .333 hitting percentage in the shortened fifth game in addition to posting three team blocks towards victory.
The regular season concludes on Sunday afternoon as the Gaels welcome Siena to the Hynes Athletic Center for a 1:00 pm start.