Stags Selected Number 1 in MAAC, 83rd in Country

In the collegehoopsnet season preview, they have ranked the Stags as the probable winner of the MAAC and the 83rd best team in the country. The Stags have been getting recogniztion from many different college previews this year.

It is interesting to note that they put alot of emphasis on Yorel Hawkins. "This is a team that lacks size." They also argue that if Hawkins gets hurt than they will not have the depth to recover like they did last year.

They also expect Edney to start from the beginning of the year and even have them in the projected 5. Earlier in the year, Cooley admitted that he felt that Edney will never be fully recovered from his Achilles heel injury.

Also of note, it doesn't seem like they like the status of Greg Nero. "Anything they can get out of Nero is a bonus- a big bonus." After hearing reports like this, it makes you wonder how effective he can be this year.

Andy Katz Interview with Coach Cooley

On Fairfieldstags.com the new video on the men's basketball section, they podcast the sit down from Katz Corner with Richmond's head coach Chris Mooney and Coach Cooley. Cooley talks about the pressure to win the MAAC Tournament, the expansion to 68 teams, and how they got Derek Needham.

I always wondered how they were able to get Derek Needham, well the mystery is solved and all the details are right there.

WVOF Lyndon Jordan Interview

WVOF had the chance to talk with Lyndon Jordan and here is what he had to say about the upcoming year and the heartbreaking way last year ended.

Q: How excited are you for the upcoming year?
A: Very excited. We got a great squad. We were so close last year. But this year we can get all the way.

Q: Is there any one game you're looking forward to?
A: Every game is important but definitely looking forward to play in the MAAC Championship on our home court.

Q: When you play Siena, will you see it as a revenge game, is there still a bad taste left in your mouth after that game?
A: Somewhat because we lost to them three times in the year, not just in the championship and we thought we were capable of beating them. So yeah we're going to step our game up kinda get revenge.

Q: What was the best part of playing on the team last year?
A: Probably playing against George Mason and seeing we had the team of guys who were down and everybody thought we were out and we made one of the greatest comebacks and to see our whole team was just determined. That's probably the best moment.

Q: You're probably going to be preseason number 1, is there any added pressure on the team?
A: Definitely. Coach says it every day at practice. You know when your the number one team, everybody's looking at you, everybody wants to beat you. Just like last year everybody wanted to beat Siena and now that's us. So we just got to come prepared everyday.

Rachel Romanksy earns MAAC Rookie of the Week

Stags setter Rachel Romansky earned her first MAAC Rookie of the Week. For the full story click here. She had a breakout weekend posting 67 assists and also tallying 11 kills on a .409 hitting percentage.

I honestly think she could be one of the better players on the team already. It seems that every game, she does something positive for the team. She has been filling up her stat sheet each game and has been very impressive even getting 8 kills in the loss to Iona. If you see her play a game you will be very impressed. She has her patent jump set and is deadly accurate. When she tries to make a kill, she will use this jumper to her advantage and has the talent to put the ball EXACTLY where she wants it. Congrats!

WVOF to air Soccer and Volleyball Games

WVOF has announced that they will air most of the remaining home conference games for men's and women's soccer and volleyball for the season. The first game will be on Friday at 7:00 PM and can be listened to by clicking here. Or go to wvof.org and click on "Listen to Web Stream"

Fairfield Women's game Postponed

The Fairfield Women's Soccer game against the Harvard Crimson has been postponed due to rain. There is no makeup date as of yet and it will be announced at a future date. The women's team hosts Manhattan College on Friday night at 7 PM. That game will be broadcasted on wvof.org with student broadcasters.

Volleyball Finally beats Marist

The Fairfield University volleyball team went 1-1 over the weekend dropping a 3-1 decision to the Iona Gaels on the road Sunday. But the day before, the team gave it's home crowd something to cheer about enjoying their most lopsided win of the season sweeping the Marist Red Foxes 3-0 at Alumni Hall on Saturday afternoon. The team laughed and smiled during the closing stages of the match leaping in delight after their fifth straight conference win. The cheerful atmosphere around the team was the exact opposite sensation the players experienced the last time they battled Marist.

It was right after last year's MAAC Semifinals and their stunning loss to the Red Foxes. The Stags entered the tournament as the number one seed for the sixth consecutive year. They found themselves against the fourth seeded Marist Red Foxes, a team that Fairfield was 24-3 against in their program history and had not lost to in 6 years. It was supposed to be a magical special season. The rise of Brianna Dixion, who became the MAAC Rookie of the Year. The story of senior Katie Mann, one of the best players in program history, in her quest to win her first MAAC Championship. The chemistry and excitement that the team brought to every game. All of that thrilling promise ended on the last point of the fifth set when Brianna Dixion's spike went off the legs of the referee. "It was sad. We shouldn't have lost to a team like that," now senior Lauren Hughes said. "After a loss like that you're definitely crushed anytime," coach Alija Pittenger said. The head coach, who is now in her third year, was given the difficult task to move the program forward and not to dwell on the past.

Out with the 2009 Fairfield Stags Volleyball Team. In with 2010 FUVB. This is a new team with an old goal, "to win the MAAC Championship," Lauren Hughes said. They are determined to leave the past in the rear view mirror and be driven by the motivation to win. Despite playing the same team that knocked them out of the tournament and killed their chances at a MAAC title, this team did not see that as anymore incentive to get some revenge. "It's funny. We actually asked them if playing Marist had anything to do with it. They said no, not really. So I think they've just been working hard and they had a fun time today," Pittenger said after the win.

It would be hard for any team coming into a year trying to forget about the heartbreaking end of the prior season and the loss of the key player and the undeniable leader of the group. But if they want to accomplish what they are set out to do, Fairfield would have to do just that. In order to do that, they would have to find a new leader. Someone who can lead by example on and off the court. They might have found that in senior Lauren Hughes. The California native ranks third on the team in kills and has amassed 790 in her four year career. She finished the Marist win with six kills. Sophomore Brianna Dixion led the team with 10 on a career high .600 hitting percentage. Being one of the few seniors on the squad, Hughes will have to help the team learn from her experiences. Hughes has great expectations for the team and the confidence that they can succeed, "I think we're coming together and playing how we should be playing and we're just going to beat every team out there."