The Fairfield volleyball team staged a gutsy rally on Tuesday night, coming back from a 2-1 deficit to defeat Burlington at home in a Southeast Conference showdown. The Trojans edged the Grayhounds in a nail-biting five-setter, winning 20-25, 25-22, 20-25, 26-24, 16-14.
The victory lifts Fairfield to 10-6 overall and 2-1 in conference play, while Burlington drops to 16-6 and 2-1.
Set-by-Set Recap
In the 1st set, Fairfield trailed 2-8 and later 11-17 before clawing back to within two at 20-22, but the early deficit was too much to overcome as Burlington took it 25-20.
The 2nd set was a different story. After falling behind 1-4, Fairfield tied it 4-4 and later surged ahead 16-13. Burlington leveled it again at 17-17, but the Trojans pushed late, sealing a 25-22 win to even the match.
The 3rd set was tight early, tied at 6-6, 13-13, and 18-18, before Burlington closed strong for a 25-20 win and a 2-1 advantage.
With their backs against the wall in the 4th, Fairfield exploded to a 13-4 lead and later went up 19-14. Burlington battled back to tie it 19-19 and even held a 23-20 lead, but the Trojans delivered in crunch time, surviving set point at 24-23 before forcing a 5th set with a 26-24 victory.
The deciding set was as dramatic as they come. Fairfield led 12-8 and 14-12, only to see Burlington claw back to tie it at 14. The Trojans held firm, taking the final two points for a thrilling 16-14 win and the match.
Offensive Leaders
Faith Jones directed the offense with 52 assists. At the net, Leah Helmick powered the attack with 20 kills. Natalie Steele tallied 15 kills, while Elyse Setterstrom added 10 kills and Maddy Martin contributed 9. The Trojans committed 23 attack errors but overcame them with timely swings late in sets 4 and 5.
Defensive Leaders
Defensively, Fairfield racked up 111 digs on the night. Isabel McCready led the back row with 24 digs, followed closely by Iris Lane with 23. Mallory Wigle posted 19 digs, while Jones contributed 18 and Lexi Mast added 15. At the net, Jaden Haynes recorded 2 blocks, while Setterstrom and Jones each added 1.
Serving Leaders
From the service line, McCready tallied 2 aces to lead the team. Steele, Lane, and Jones each added 1 ace. The Trojans finished with a strong 96.0% serving efficiency.
Outstanding Performances
Multiple Trojans had their season-best performance during the match, notably including Helmick in kills, Steele in kills, McCready in digs (also her 4th game with 20 or more digs), Lane in digs, Wigle in digs, and Jones in assists. Setterstrom and Martin both tied their season best in kills.
Around the Conference
Elsewhere in the Southeast Conference, Mount Pleasant defeated Fort Madison in four sets, while Washington swept Keokuk. The Demons are now the leader in the conference with a 3-0 record.
Looking Ahead
Fairfield will be back in action Thursday at home against No. 13-ranked Williamsburg (12-4).
