Fordham Volleyball hosted St. Francis Brooklyn and Providence College this weekend and came out with one dominant win.

On Friday, the squad played the Terriers and set a season-high with a .366 hitting percentage on 46 kills in their 3-0 victory. They set another season-high with eight aces as the offense was the star of the show.

However, Saturday’s matchup against the Friars proved to be very different. The defense shined and kept the Rams steady throughout five very long sets. Junior libero Mallory Lipski won Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week and was named to the All-Tournament team with her career-high 30 digs. 

Sophomore outside hitter Whitley Moody noted Lipski’s influence in the hard-fought battle, “Our defense stepped up and allowed us to be super competitive at the net. Scrappy defense from our STUD libero, Mallory Lipski, created a ton of opportunities for our hitters to score out of transition.” 

Despite the defensive efforts and offensive efficiency, they dropped Saturday night’s game 28-26, 18-25, 25-19, 33-35 and 13-15. 

Moody led the squad in kills with 20, matching her career-high. Another career-best came from junior Aria De La Rosa with 18 kills.

De La Rosa noted the importance of this nailbiter match, and how it is setting the tone heading into conference play, “I’m really proud of the way our team is coming together to find our rhythm. Preseason for our team has been about learning how to trust and rely on our teammates during the moments that count. The Providence game really showed our energy and our fight. Although we are still working out some kinks, we have come so far in developing a great team culture on and off the court. I am excited to start conference play so we can really show Fordham Volleyball potential.”

With the weekend split, the Rams fall to 3-8 and will take on both Virginia Commonwealth University and Davidson College this weekend, two dominant Atlantic 10 Conference competitors. 

Defensive Player of the Week Lipski notes that the team is using the conclusion of the preseason as a momentum-builder heading into the weekend, “It was so fun to host our first home game this weekend in front of our friends and family! I thought we competed really hard this weekend and although we came up short in our last match against Providence, we did some really great things and I am extremely proud of the team. These preseason games have really allowed us to grow as a unit. We are a different team than we were four weeks ago and I am so excited to start conference play on Friday and show people what Fordham Volleyball is about!!”

The Rams will be on the road for their next three matches, but will return to Rose Hill Gymnasium yet again on Oct. 8 when they take on George Washington University.