Alija Pittenger
In just five days, head coach Alija Pittenger has seen both sides of the spectrum.
Last Tuesday night in the women’s volleyball’s highly-anticipated home opener, the Stags struggled to close out the Fordham Rams after a sensational first set, dropping the team’s first home match since 2006.
“We just need to learn how to close out games,” the head coach quipped.
Five days and 427 miles later, Fairfield emerged from a vital two-match road trip to Buffalo with a pair of impressive showings, a Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) award, and, most importantly, two vital conference victories over Canisius and Niagara.
“Everybody stepped up. I especially think everybody stepped up at the end of the games,” Pittenger said. “It’s something we were lacking earlier in the year, but we definitely showed that a little bit this weekend,” she added.
The highlight of the weekend came in the team’s 3-1 win over Niagara on Friday. The Purple Eagles, riding a two-game win streak, took the opening set and benefited from Fairfield’s 17 service errors.
But the Stags’ responded in kind and displayed some of their newfound grit. Led by senior Katie Mann and freshman Briana Dixion, who combined for 31 kills, the Stags took the next two sets and then secured a match win with a stunning fourth set, thanks in part to a dominant 13-1 run.
“When we did fight back like (that), it is a lot of fun to watch,” Pittenger said. “But there’s still a lot of room to grow, so we need to keep it up.”
Equally as vital to the team’s weekend success was freshman libero Kara Reis, who totaled 41 digs and secured MAAC Defensive Player of the Week honors.
“For any freshman to get that sort of recognition… that’s fantastic,” Pittenger said.
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