The Quinnipiac University Bobcats geared up for their rematch against the Fairfield Stags, a team that delivered their first loss of the season back on October 6.
Quinnipiac came into the game surging, going 5-1 in the MAAC since their loss to Fairfield. Fairfield was also coming in strong, having a 5-0 record since their matchup with the Bobcats.
This game also had huge stakes going into it as Fairfield stood in first in the MAAC with Quinnipiac just half a game back in second place. The winner would control their own destiny to the first seed in the MAAC tournament. Albeit, both the Bobcats and the Stags had already punched their ticket to the tournament before the beginning of the game.
The biggest advantage for the Bobcats going into the game has been the same storyline for nearly every game in Burt Kahn Court this season; they have not dropped a set at home.
Last time against the Stags, the Bobcats recorded only five blocks to Fairfield’s 12. A clear difference-maker in a game where Quinnipiac had a point differential of just minus three and either beat or matched Fairfield in every other category.
The Bobcat’s first point of the game was a kill by senior captain and middle Lexi Morse, which electrified the faithful fans in Hamden, most of whom were equipped with pink boomsticks in support of breast cancer awareness.
Coach Kyle Robinson said after the game that seeing the crowd not only there in large numbers but also supporting breast cancer awareness, is “part of the reason [he loves] Quinnipiac.”
Early on in the first set, there was a clear connection between setter Damla Gunes and her sister, Yagmur Gunes. When the Bobcats tied the set at six, Yagmur recorded three kills.
The Bobcats started to falter, as Morse was called on a double and then hit the ball onto the net on back-to-back plays. Quinnipiac was down 11-6 as Robinson used his first timeout. That decision paid off, as the first play after Ginevra Giovagnoni recorded her first kill of the match off a stellar bump set from Damla.
Not long after, Leilani-kai Giusta subbed into the game while Quinnipiac was down 7-15. She immediately made an impact, recording two kills and forcing a Fairfield timeout. The Stags outlasted the Bobcats to secure a 25-22 win in the first set. Just the first set all season where the Bobcats had not won.
With the Bobcats up 14-11, Fairfield head coach Nancy Somera subbed out her starting setter Blakely Montgomery in favor of sophomore Abby Jandro. The move did not quite work as she envisioned, as Aryanah Diaz and Giovagnoni both blasted balls that upon impacting with a Stag defender, bounced up to and off of the ceiling and gave the home team a 19-15 advantage. Quinnipiac held on to win 25-20.
“We’re playing modern-day volleyball”, Robinson said. “It’s a shame that some teams fail to utilize their star players for the entirety of the time they’re on the court.”
With the game tied at 20, Morse received a short float serve from Kyla Berg. The dagger of the set came on a long rally with Diaz and Morse combining for two more almost-blocks on the Stags. The Bobcats took the third set 25-21.
The fourth set was extremely back and forth and there was not more of a gap of more than three points between the two teams until Damla dumped a ball to make it 9-6 Bobcats.
After a back-and-forth battle, the set was tied at 22. Fairfield attempted an unsuccessful challenge that wound up giving Quinnipiac the lead. After the break from the challenge, Bailey Brashear put up a block to put Quinnipiac on the verge of victory.
With all of Burt Kahn on its feet, Giusta sent a tip that caught Jandro off guard. Jandro threw out her hands, sending the ball just over the net, and right into the hands of Brashear, who deflected it right back down onto the floor. The Bobcat bench exploded onto the court, as Quinnipiac won the fourth 25-22, the game 3-1, and secured payback on the Stags.
Even Brashear, who secured the final two points for Quinnipiac, said that “we needed to put it away, needed it to be done, needed it to end.”
The Bobcats have four more games before the MAAC tournament. Two next weekend in Hamden against Marist and Siena and then finishing up with two games in New Jersey against Rider and Saint Peter’s.
