The Fairfield volleyball team dropped a 3-1 decision to Washington on Tuesday, September 8th at home, falling to 2-7 overall and 0-2 in Southeast Conference play after seven straight losses. Washington improves to 5-8 overall and 2-0 in conference play, tied atop the SEC standings with Burlington as the Demons continue their pursuit of a conference championship.
Set 1
Fairfield came out strong in the opening set, jumping ahead 3-0 and never looking back. The Trojans were scrappy and kept the ball in play, forcing Washington into mistakes throughout the set. Fairfield led 9-4, 11-6, 15-10, 19-11, and 21-15 before closing out the set 25-15. Ireland Cranston was particularly effective early, racking up multiple kills as Washington’s offense never really got going. That was about to change.
Set 2
The second set was a back-and-forth affair with neither team able to pull away early, with the score tied at 1, 3, 5, 7, and 8. Washington eventually took control, extending the lead to 12-8 before Fairfield rallied all the way back to tie it at 14. The Demons pulled away again, going up 18-16 and extending to 23-16 before closing out the set 25-18.
Set 3
Fairfield found themselves in a hole early in the third set, falling behind 0-4 and 5-10 before digging in. The Trojans mounted a significant comeback, cutting a large deficit to 8-16 and continuing to chip away. Three consecutive aces from Kate Brecount helped fuel the rally, pulling Fairfield within one at multiple points late in the set — including 18-19, 19-20, and 20-21 — before ultimately falling 25-23 in what was the most competitive set of the night.
Set 4
Washington controlled the fourth set from start to finish, leading 8-4 early and extending the advantage to 15-9 and 18-12. Fairfield continued to fight, pulling to 16-20 before Washington closed it out 25-19 to earn their second conference win in as many tries.
Stats
Natalie Steele led the offense with 12 kills — averaging 3.0 kills per set — followed by Leah Helmick with nine, Ireland Cranston with seven, Grace Hellweg with two, and Ella Bentler and Lexi Mast with one each. Mast ran the offense with 25 assists. The team recorded 19 kill errors and a .117 kill efficiency.
On the service line, Kate Brecount led with three aces, with Kayla Morris and Lexi Mast each adding one. The team served at 92.9 percent efficiency.
In the back row, Frances Miller led with 15 digs, followed by Lexi Mast and Leah Helmick with 11 each and Ava McArtor with nine.
On blocks, Natalie Steele led with four and added three block assists. Ireland Cranston added three blocks, while Leah Helmick, Ella Bentler, Lexi Mast, and Kiley McArtor each contributed one.
Washington was led by senior Layla Green, who is committed to Quincy University, with a match-high 16 kills.
Coach Rebling’s Thoughts
Head Coach Vicki Rebling said the team came out with the right mindset but struggled to sustain it. “We started very strong with an aggressive mindset and had some nice blocks on their hitters,” Rebling said. “That seemed to dwindle as the match went on. We still fought hard and had opportunities in each set. We continue to see people step into some intense situations and handle the moment.” She noted that Washington was able to capitalize on overpasses late in the match. “Our serving was solid. Washington took advantage at the net on some overpasses in a row, so that was hard to overcome late in the match.”
Rebling also praised the program’s younger players and the home crowd. “The freshmen and JV teams both played well and came away with wins in two sets each. We had a great home crowd and our student section always shows up and represents. We appreciate their support.”
The home crowd also showed up wearing gold in support of Pediatric Cancer Awareness Month, honoring the memory of Jack Polonsky and the ongoing fundraising effort in his name.
Fairfield is back in action on Saturday, September 12th at a tournament in Williamsburg.
