Freshman, sophomore standouts spur volleyball as season progresses

A win in the first game of the season. A road victory over Siena. Nine consecutive victories.
Now, after Sunday’s contest, it can add a stirring comeback victory at Alumni Hall to its list of early-season exploits, as Fairfield defeated Northeastern, 7-3.

The victory over the Huskies may only be the team’s third out-of-conference victory, but it comes against an opponent that currently sits atop the Colonial Athletic Association (CAA) standings.

Once again, the play and maturity of Fairfield’s youthful roster spurred the team to its third straight match win, the team’s twelfth win in thirteen games.

For the first time this season, the Stags were forced to a fifth set after holding a 2-0 set advantage earlier in the match, and even trailed the Huskies in the final set prior to four consecutive points to turn the momentum of the game.

Fairfield went on to win the set, 15-13, and take the match, 3-2.

Freshman Lauren Balmert was also a key contributor in the fifth set with two unanswered service aces, and later forced a Northeastern error on her third serve to score three consecutive fifth set points.

Balmert, who has recorded a statistic in every set this season, was named Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Rookie of the Week is response to her performance against Northeastern and strong efforts earlier in the week against St. Peter’s and Rider.

The award is her third such recognition of the season, and the team’s fifth conference award this year.

Sophomores Alex Lopez, the team leader in kills, and Lauren Hughes, the Stags’ top server this season, also recorded crucial kills in the Northeastern match’s final points and again proved to be reliable options despite relative inexperience.

Earlier this season, head coach Alija Pittenger admitted that a difficult out-of-conference schedule and improvements in MAAC competitors means that every match provides an added challenge.

‘In this conference right now, you have to be ready to play,’ Pittenger said. ‘It’s the kind of the attitude we’ve taken in all our games so far.’