FAIRFIELD, Conn. – For the second straight day, Villanova volleyball took down a reigning conference champion as the Wildcats defeated the MAAC's Fairfield Stags in four sets (20-25, 25-21, 25-22, 25-16) on Sunday afternoon.
It was another well-balanced day in the scoring category for Villanova (5-4) with six players contributing five or more kills including three in double figures.
First-year hitter Cat Young and senior middle blocker Ozzie Ozonoh were named to the Yale Invitational All-Tournament Team with Young totaling 29 kills on a .250 hitting percentage with 24 digs and six blocks across the week while Ozonoh had a career weekend with 19 kills and 13 total blocks on .410 hitting.
Young led the match with a career-high 14 kills and four blocks with Campbell McKinnon adding 12 terminations on .417 hitting and a season-best seven total blocks. Alyssa Nelson tallied her second career double-double on 26 assists and 10 digs in addition to a career-best five service aces which tied for the most aces in four sets by a BIG EAST player this season. Ozonoh also had a banner day with her highest kill total ever of eight at a .375 clip and Elizabeth Feczko added a team-best 16 digs.
"Winning on the road is never easy and Fairfield did a great job coming out strong so we had a hard time getting rhythm in the first set,"acting head coach Joe Portland said. "We made a great effort to stay together and respond."
The teams exchanged runs to open the match, all the way up until Fairfield used a 7-0 stretch to wrest a 20-18 lead away from the 'Cats and secure a first frame victory.
Villanova became the first to 15 in a 10-tie, seven-lead change second frame but separate four and three point runs allowed the visitors to even up the match at one set apiece.
It was another evenly matched third period as neither side could grab a strong advantage until over midway through when a 3-0 VU string got the Wildcats an edge they refused to relinquish for a 25-22.
The 'Cats got out to a hot start in the fourth with an 8-4 advantage to force an early Stags pause and dominated the rest of the way, picking up a four-set victory with the largest set margin of the day at 25-16.
With the win, Villanova pulls the all-time series to even at 3-3, avenging a five-set loss from the 2022 Villanova Classic.
UP NEXT: The Wildcats will round out their non-conference slate next weekend, hosting the Wildcat Challenge as Marist, Rhode Island and Temple come to the Main Line for a four-match slate at Jake Nevin Field House.
