Fairfield University Women's Volleyball, Field Hockey Both Picked As Preseason Favorites in MAAC

The Fairfield University women-s Volleyball and Field Hockey teams were both selected as the 2016 MAAC Preseason favorites as voted upon by the league-s respective head coaches. The Stags volleyball squad totaled 96 points and received seven first-place votes in the poll in the poll of 10 head coaches, with junior Skyler Day (Minooka, Ill.) voted the ?16 Preseason Player of the Year. In field hockey, Fairfield totaled 48 points and six out of seven first-place votes from skippers, and Ann Burgoyne (Blue Bell, Pa.) was voted Preseason Player of the Year. Both teams are defending MAAC Champions. In volleyball, Fairfield finished 14-4 in conference play last season and 21-10 overall en route to winning the 2015 MAAC Championship. The Stags knocked off Manhattan College in five sets in the semifinals and then defeated Marist College, three sets to one in the championship game. Last season, the Stags led the MAAC in assists (1,498), blocks (246) and were tied for first with 1,578 kills. Junior outside hitter Skyler Day earns Preseason Player of the Year honors after a year in which she was named to the All-Championship and All-MAAC First Team. Day led the conference with 420 kills and 468.5 total points. Her 3.59 kills and 4.00 points per set average ranked third in the MAAC. Her teammate, Megan O-Sullivan joins Day on the 2016 Preseason All-MAAC team. O-Sullivan was an All-MAAC and All-Championship team selection. She ranked second in the MAAC with a .306 hitting percentage. The Stags have been crowned MAAC Volleyball Champions eight times in program history. Siena College finished in second place in the preseason poll, totaling 84 points and garnering the final three first place votes. The Saints were 12-6 in MAAC play and 16-13 overall a season ago. Siena finished second in the MAAC in digs per set (17.48), third in assists per set (12.94), and kills per set (12.94) and blocks per set (2.02). Returning to the court for the Saints this season are the 2015 MAAC Volleyball Setter of the Year, Haley Howell and the 2015 MAAC Volleyball Player of the Year Briana Flagg. The duo was voted onto the 2016 MAAC Volleyball Preseason All-MAAC Team. Flagg led the conference with 4.01 kills per set and 4.28 points per set. Howell had 1,121 total assists and 10.38 assists per set, both ranking first in the MAAC. The Saints have the most championships in league history with nine. In field hockey, the Stags won its first ever MAAC Field Hockey Championship a season ago after going 3-3 in conference play and 9-10 overall. Fairfield University knocked off Monmouth University 2-1 in the semifinals and would go on to defeat Quinnipiac University 2-0 in the championship game. Stags forward and reigning MAAC Field Hockey Offensive Player of the Year, Ann Burgoyne,was voted as the 2016 MAAC Field Hockey Preseason Player of the Year. Last season, she led the conference in points (40), goals (19), goals per game (1.06) and points per game (2.22). Joining Burgoyne on the 2016 MAAC Field Hockey All-MAAC Preseason Team are her Stags teammates: goalkeeper Caitlin Bennett, defender Erin Buckley, the 2015 MAAC Field Hockey Player of the Year, Julie De Paeuw, a unanimous selection, and defender Maclaine Matties. Monmouth University, the 2015 MAAC Field Hockey Co-Regular Season Champions finished in second place in the preseason poll totaling 42 points and receiving the other first-place vote. The Hawks went 5-1 in conference play and 8-11 overall in 2015. Three Hawks were named to the 2016 All-MAAC Field Hockey Preseason Team: Forward Meg Donahue, midfielder Alyssa Ercolino and the 2015 MAAC Field Hockey Defensive Player of the Year, Casey Hanna, who was a unanimous selection to the All-MAAC Preseason Team. The full polls for both sports are below: Preseason Coaches' Poll ? Volleyball 1. Fairfield (7) 96 2. Siena (3) 84 3. Marist 74 T4. Manhattan 68 T4. Rider 68 6. Niagara 52 7. Canisius 40 8. Iona 32 9. Quinnipiac 23 10. Saint Peter-s 13 Preseason Coaches' Poll ? Field Hockey 1. Fairfield (6) 48 2. Monmouth (1) 42 3. Rider 35 4. Sacred Heart 23 5. Siena 22 6. Bryant 19 7. LIU Brooklyn 7