NORFOLK, Va. – The 2025 Quest for the Crown opened with a tough pair of 3-1 decisions for Old Dominion, as the Monarchs dropped both of Saturday’s matches at the ODU Volleyball Center, first to Fairfield and then to West Virginia.
We’ll start with head coach Fred Chao’s takeaway from the day: returning to the home court felt good, and bringing Rita Benidio into the lineup helped boost the team’s competitive level and stability. “This morning we were trying to feel things out. We were able to bring Rita Benidio into the mix this evening and she made a big difference for us in our competitive level and how stable we were able to play,” Chao said. “We didn’t put up the numbers that we need to, but we certainly played hard.” Chao also noted the importance of fan support returning to the venue: “It’s exciting. As the previous match was going on, just to see people start to show up and funnel in, it was fun. It means the world to us and to the team. The support’s always been great and we just want to keep it going.”
Fairfield 3, ODU 1
ODU opened the day against Fairfield, following West Virginia’s 3-1 win over Towson on Friday. The Monarchs struck first in the opener as Emma Schelah delivered a solo block to help push ODU ahead 4-1, with Taylor Motes and Wiktoria Zagumny further extending the lead to 8-4. Fairfield answered and eventually tied the set at 14-14, but Elisa Maggi and Zagumny delivered key attacks to move ODU back in front 17-14. A late 4-0 rally, highlighted by an ace from Schelah, helped ODU secure a 25-21 first-set victory.
The second set was a back-and-forth battle, with Fairfield pulling ahead to a 21-19 advantage. ODU rallied to tie the score at 23-23 on Fairfield errors, but a Mamie Krubally kill and a Natalie Carlin service ace gave Fairfield the edge and the visitors claimed the set to even the match at one set apiece.
Fairfield took control in the third set, jumping out to a 10-6 lead and extending it to 19-13. ODU cut into the gap with a Maggi kill and a Motes solo block to make it 22-18, but Fairfield answered with a 25-18 win to take a 2-1 lead in sets.
The fourth set followed a similar pattern, with Fairfield ahead 15-8 at the midway point. Maggi sparked a 4-0 push to pull the Monarchs within 15-11, but Fairfield closed out the match with a 6-0 run, finishing 25-14.
Maggi led ODU with 16 kills and eight digs. Katie Rakoski added 13 kills and 12 digs for a double-double, while Zagumny posted 34 assists and 16 digs. On defense, Schelah had four blocks, LeeAnne Lowery three, and Zagumny and Motes two apiece. Kilpatrick was also active on defense with 15 digs.
West Virginia 3, ODU 1
In the second match of the day, ODU trailed early as West Virginia surged ahead 5-1 in the opening frame, but the Monarchs battled back to take a 10-10 tie with a Benidio ace and a Rakoski kill. ODU moved ahead 22-19 after a 7-of-8 scoring stretch, ultimately finishing the set 25-22.
West Virginia answered with momentum, banking an 8-2 run to claim the second set 25-15. The Mountaineers controlled the third set as well, building an 8-0 run at one point and later sealing a 25-23 win after a late ODU surge that came up just short. Trailing 24-19, an ODU push forced a WVU timeout, but a WVU attack kill ended the set for a 2-1 WVU lead.
The fourth set featured 10 ties, but WVU pulled away late for a 25-21 decision to complete the 3-1 victory. Maggi finished with 13 kills, five digs, three blocks and two aces for ODU. Rakoski and Benidio each added eight kills, Zagumny dished out 30 assists, and Kilpatrick totaled 20 digs, eight assists and two aces.
Up Next
Day Two of the Quest for the Crown will begin with Fairfield vs. West Virginia at 1 p.m., followed by a 4 p.m. showdown between Old Dominion and Towson to wrap up the tournament slate.
Notes and outlook
Old Dominion showed resilience and several bright spots in its season-opening weekend. The return of Rita Benidio added depth to the lineup and helped stabilize the Monarchs’ offense and defense, while Maggi continued to be a driving force with a team-high 16 kills in the Fairfield match and 13 more against WVU. Zagumny’s playmaking and Kilpatrick’s digging also stood out across the two matches, underscoring ODU’s potential as the season unfolds. With a home crowd back in full force and a busy tournament schedule ahead, the Monarchs have a solid foundation to build on as they prepare for Towson.