Final Stats

Add another exciting chapter to Siena's volleyball rivalry with Fairfield. The Saints got 16 kills from emerging junior Meghann Wright Saturday in Connecticut in a 3-1 win (25-22, 28-26, 20-25 and 31-29) over the two-time defending MAAC Champion Stags. It was the third straight road victory for Siena over a team that qualified for last year's MAAC Championships.

The surging Saints (6-10, 4-1) have won five of six matches after losing nine straight.

Reigning MAAC libero of the week Bobbi Lin Kalama led all players with 21 digs, anchoring a Siena defense that out-dug Fairfield 76-60. Classmate Haley Howell continued her resurgence at the setting position, posting 44 assists, 15 digs and four aces. Junior Erin Bies also added four aces, as the Saints returned to the aggressive service that has rewarded them for the past decade.

Beyond Wright, the Saints got offensive contributions from the two newest faces on their roster. Sophomore transfer Sonja Vasovic and freshman middle Samantha Pethokoukis each tallied eight kills. Pethokoukis was involved in five of the Saints' 12 blocks as well.

Howell served the Saints to a 6-0 lead in the first set and Siena led from start-to-finish in a 25-22 decision. They led most of the way in the second set too, but Fairfield rallied late to force extra time. Howell broke a 26-26 tie with an ace and Wright finished the set with a kill to put the Saints up 2-0 at the break.

After intermission, Fairfield broke free from a 19-19 tie to score six of the last seven points in a 25-20 win that set the stage for an epic fourth set.

Bies served the Saints to an early 6-1 lead, but Fairfield rallied to tie the set 11-11. The Stags led 23-21, but that was the last two-point lead until the match ended as Jacqueline Skeen and Pethokoukis had-back-to-back kills to tie things again at 23-23. Vasovic put Siena up 30-29, and the match was decided when Pethokoukis and Stoklosa combined to block Maddie Fitzpatrick's attack.

Hadley Orr led three Fairfiled players in double figures with 16 kills and rounded out a double-double with 11 digs.

The Saints play their next two matches against Quinnipiac, traveling to Hamden for a 1 p.m. match tomorrow and hosting the Bobcats in Loudonville Wednesday at 7 p.m.