Fordham Volleyball has gotten off to a difficult start in Atlantic 10 play. Two weekends ago, the Rams were swept at home by the reigning conference champions, the University of Dayton, to begin the latter half of the season. This past weekend, the Rams faced the Loyola-Chicago University Ramblers for the very first time.

While head coach Ian Choi and his Rams knew the A-10 was deep with talent, notching only a single set across four losses to open conference play is certainly puzzling. In their first match of the weekend, Fordham dropped the first two sets in decisive fashion, before battling in the third. They would eventually fall in the third set 25-23 to the Ramblers. Karlie McNabb led the way for Loyola Chicago, posting 17 kills.

Friday’s 3-0 loss marked the Rams’ third loss in conference, which includes two sweeps. The Rams then had an opportunity to bounce back less than 24 hours later, but the results would not go their way. Fordham went on to drop all three sets Saturday, but there was a silver lining for the group: The Rams surpassed the 20-point mark in the latter two sets of Saturday’s match, but would fall in three without forcing “extra volleyball” in any of the three contests. Senior Mallory Lipski was another bright spot, as she set a new school three-set record with 25 digs. With the loss, Fordham has fallen to 6-9 overall and 0-4 in A-10 play.
A mere three and a half weeks ago, the Rams stood at 6-2 with optimism surrounding the talented group. But as the recent weeks have dragged on, Fordham Volleyball’s record — as well as their confidence — has been rattled. The Rams have dropped their last seven matches, including four sweeps.

Fordham will hit the road once again, this time for a Wednesday match-up with the University of Rhode Island. Fordham will then welcome Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) for a two-game set at the friendly confines of Rose Hill later that week.