RIVERDALE, N.Y. - Whether the Manhattan College volleyball team qualifies for the 2011 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) Championships or not is going to come right down to the wire. With four matches left in the regular season, the Jaspers (15-12, 8-6 MAAC) sit tied for third place with Marist (11-13, 8-6 MAAC) and Siena (10-13, 8-6 MAAC).
Manhattan ends the season by visiting the Red Foxes and Saints, but first, the Jaspers wrap up their home slate with a pair of matches this weekend. The Jaspers host Fairfield (16-9, 13-2 MAAC) at 2 p.m. on Saturday, then Iona (11-12, 8-7 MAAC) comes to Draddy Gymnasium at 2 p.m. on Sunday. Seniors Jackie Aldrich (Westhampton Beach, N.Y.), Brittany DeGagne (Penticton, B.C.) and LaKell Havens (St. George, Utah) will be honored prior to the Iona match.
The Jaspers snapped a three-match losing streak with a 3-1 victory at Rider on Wednesday night. Malia McGuinness (Kailua, Hawaii) paces Manhattan with 3.49 kills per set, while Havens averages 2.68 kills per set and is hitting a team-best .288. She also leads the Jaspers in service aces (0.35 per set) and ranks second in the MAAC in blocks (1.00 per set). Havens enters the weekend six kills shy of 1,000 for her collegiate career. Julie Bies (Massapequa, N.Y.) leads Manhattan in digs (2.91 dps) and Hollegn Henderson (Long Beach, Calif.) distributes 10.06 assists per set.
Second-place Fairfield has already clinched a berth in the MAAC Championships. The Stags have won 13 of their last 14 matches, including a 3-0 victory at Marist on Wednesday night. Brianna Dixion averages a team-best 3.17 kills per set, while Kendal Dirkin leads the MAAC in hitting percentage (.340). Rachel Romansky ranks second in the league in assists (10.68 aps), and Kara Reis tallies 4.53 digs per set to lead the squad.
Iona snapped a three-match losing streak with a 3-0 victory at Loyola on Sunday. The Gaels sit just behind the three-way tie with an 8-7 conference record. Alicja Pawelec is second in the MAAC with 3.88 kills per set, while Catrina Warren leads the league in blocks (1.05 bps) and ranks second in hitting percentage (.305). Theresa Harvey averages 5.64 digs per set, good for second in the MAAC. Nicole Tamburri hands out 9.71 assists per set.
Manhattan suffered a pair of 3-0 defeats when it faced Fairfield and Iona on the road earlier this season.
Both of this weekend's matches will be webcast live on JasperVision at www.gojaspers.com. A one-day pass costs $5.95.
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