FAIRFIELD, Conn. –  The Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team fell on the road against defending Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) champs Fairfield in four sets on Tuesday evening at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena. 

The rookie duo of Ryleigh Short and Abbie Hagedorn both finished with double-doubles against the Stags. Short tallied 14 kills and 14 digs, while Hagedorn posted 12 kills and 11 digs with three aces and two blocks. Miliani Villarreal commanded the defense with 24 digs, her second-highest total of the year. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 3-12, 0-3 MAAC
Fairfield: 9-4, 3-0 MAAC

Top Performers:
Ryleigh Short: 14 kills, 14 digs
Abbie Hagedorn: 12 kills, 11 digs, 3 aces, 2 blocks
Miliani Villarreal: 24 digs, 6 assists

How It Happened:
The Pios dropped the first set 25-16, but rallied to take the second to tie the score at 1-1. SHU started the frame with a 6-2 lead, but the Stags stormed back to take a 14-11 lead. The teams traded points from there until Sacred Heart started to take over. Trailing 20-19, SHU put together a thrilling 5-1 run, which was capped by a Short kill to clinch a 25-21 win.  

Extended runs by Fairfield in the third and fourth sets helped the home team claim wins in both frames. The Stags took the third 25-16 and the fourth 25-18 to win the match in four sets. 

Up Next:
SHU heads to the Garden State on Friday, Oct. 3, to play Rider at 6 p.m. in MAAC play.