Box Score | Recap




FAIRFIELD, Conn. – Despite freshman Nailah Jenkins pairing nine kills with four blocks at the net on Friday night, the Northeastern women's volleyball team was unable to claw out a victory at Fairfield as the Huskies lost a four-set match at Alumni Hall (25-17, 22-25, 25-22, 25-17).
 
Jenkins's nine kills were earned on 13 attacks as the first-year middle blocker hit .615 to lead Northeastern (4-4). Fellow NU rookie Erica Staunton tallied seven kills against five errors while Natalie Shollin and Gabrielle Tschannen each landed six kills with three and two blocks, respectively.
 
Senior libero Clare Lund dug 12 attacks from Fairfield (3-4), which sported the 58-39 edge in kills and sent over nine aces to the Huskies' three. Liz Carroll (18 assists) and Samantha Shupe (14) split the NU setting with Shupe adding nine digs.
 
Northeastern and Fairfield played the opening 14 points of the match within a three-point window until the Stags broke the first set's 7-7 tie with an 8-1 scoring run. Shollin and Shupe came through with back-to-back kills to reduce the NU deficit to 16-11, but three Northeastern errors contributed to Fairfield's five-point run that clinched the set for the home team.
 
Consecutive kills by Staunton midway through the second set triggered a seven-point run for the Huskies that put them ahead, 14-9. Brianna Daphnis and Shollin united on a block assist to deny Fairfield a chance to side out at 20-17, helping NU ride its 13 kills (hit .206) to the 25-22 victory.
 
Northeastern surrendered the opening three points of the third set, causing the Huskies to play from behind through the remainder of the set. NU nearly succeeded in its chase, cranking out a 7-1 run down the stretch to pull within a point of Fairfield at 23-22, despite conceding the final two points of the set.
 
The Huskies led, 9-8, during the fourth set before the Stags capped a five-point run with two aces by Manuela Nicolini. Daphnis hit Northeastern's final kill at 17-14 before Fairfield ended the match by winning eight of the last nine points.
 
Joelle Battles led the home team with 19 kills on 25 attacks (hit .640) while Kaylie Butts charted seven kills and six blocks. Nicolini finished with 48 assists, 10 digs, three blocks and three aces.