FAIRFIELD, Conn. – In a battle of two of the top three preseason Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) favorites, the Sacred Heart University women's volleyball team suffered a hard-fought loss to last season's league champs Fairfield. 

The potent duo of Camryn Luginbuhl and Allison Murray led the way for the Pioneers, with 12 and 11 kills, respectively. Luginbuhl also added nine digs for a near double-double. Gaby Zovko also recorded a stellar outing with 25 assists, eight digs and four kills. 

Records:
Sacred Heart: 6-9, 2-1 MAAC
Fairfield: 5-9, 3-0 MAAC
 
Top Performers:
Camryn Luginbuhl: 12 kills, 9 digs
Gaby Zovko: 25 assists, 8 digs, 4 kills
Allison Murray: 11 kills, 7 digs  

How It Happened:
The opening two sets played out similarly, with the Pioneers holding a lead before a pair of Fairfield rallies. 

The Stags opened the first with an 11-6 advantage before SHU reeled off a 7-0 run to go ahead 13-11. The Pios stayed up 20-19 before the Stags found themselves ahead 22-21 with a rally. A 2-0 spurt gave the Pioneers a 23-22 advantage, but Fairfield went on to win four of the following five points to take the set 26-24. 

SHU bounced back quickly in the second set, storming ahead by five, 8-3. The Pios added to their lead, taking an 18-12 advantage late in the frame. Unfortunately for the Sacred Heart, the Stags started to chip away at the deficit, taking a 24-22 lead following a 7-1 run. SHU scored the next two points, but Fairfield answered with a 2-0 run of its own to take the set 26-24. 

The third set was all Stags, as the home team secured a sweep with a 25-11 victory. 

Up Next:
The Pioneers will be back at the Leo D. Mahoney Arena to host Merrimack on Saturday, Oct. 5, at 7 p.m.