EDISON, NJ (August 24, 2022) – The non-conference portion of the 2022 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) volleyball season begins this week, with nine teams scheduled to play this Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27.
 
Voted as the favorite in the 2022 MAAC Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll, Fairfield University begins its MAAC Championship title defense at the Auto Owners Insurance Spartan Invitational in East Lansing, Mich. this weekend, facing Eastern Michigan on Friday at 5:00 p.m. before taking on Louisiana and host Michigan State on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively. The Stags won the 2021 MAAC regular season by going 16-2 during conference play before capturing the 2021 MAAC Championship with wins over Siena, Canisius, and Rider. Fairfield enters the 2022 campaign having won five MAAC titles in the last seven years and 12 total in program history.
 
Selected second in the preseason poll, Rider University opens its season at the BYU Invitational No. 1 in Provo, Utah, facing host BYU and Washington State on Friday at 2:00 p.m. and 7:00 p.m., respectively, before closing out the weekend against Duke on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. The Broncs have reached the MAAC Championship match in both of their last two seasons and finished the 2021 campaign with an overall record of 19-12 (14-4 MAAC).
 
Quinnipiac heads to Stony Brook for a pair of matches this weekend, facing the host Sea Wolves on Friday at 6:00 p.m. and Fordham on Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Tabbed third in the preseason poll, the Bobcats finished the 2021 fall season with 11 victories, including nine wins in MAAC contests and a trip to the MAAC Semifinals.
 
Selected fourth in the preseason, Marist opens up at the Panther Invitational, facing host Georgia State at 1:00 p.m. and Belmont at 4:00 p.m. on Friday and Auburn at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday in Atlanta, Ga. Canisius, who rounded out the preseason top five, kicks off the season at the Purdue Fort Wayne Invitational, facing Lindenwood at 11:00 a.m. and host Purdue Fort Wayne at 7:00 p.m. on Friday and Western Illinois at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in Fort Wayne, Ind.

2022 MAAC OPENING WEEKEND SCHEDULE
The 2022 MAAC Volleyball Championship takes place from November 16 through 19 at ESPN Wide World of Sports in Lake Buena Vista, FL. The 10-team, single-elimination championship will feature four rounds of action with the opening round taking place on Wednesday, November 16, followed by the quarterfinals on Thursday, November 17, the semifinals on Friday, November 18, and concluding with the championship match on Saturday, November 19. For all information regarding the 2022 MAAC Volleyball Championship, please visit maacsports.com/vb.
 
About the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference:
With 11 institutions strongly bound by the sound principles of quality and integrity in academics and excellence in athletics, the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) is in its 42nd year of competition during the 2022-23 academic year. Current conference members include: Canisius College, Fairfield University, Iona University, Manhattan College, Marist College, Mount St. Mary’s University, Niagara University, Quinnipiac University, Rider University, Saint Peter’s University, and Siena College.
 
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