The Loyola University Chicago Ramblers volleyball team has swept seven consecutive opponents. The Fordham University Rams, who have been the recipient of near-comical injury- and schedule-related misfortune, were, of course, scheduled to play them during their hottest stretch of the year.
The result was predictable: six sets later and two 3-0 Loyola-Chicago wins later, the Ramblers advanced to 11-5, while the Rams fell to 3-13.
It’s hard to fathom but had the Rams beaten Saint Louis University in set five of the season opener and subsequently beaten the league-worst University of Rhode Island later that week, they would currently be in the conference’s sixth and final playoff spot.
Regardless, Fordham’s season is effectively over. On the road trip to Loyola-Chicago, the Rams fought well and kept things tight at the beginning of every set. Through each set’s first 20 points, the scores read as follows: 11-9, Loyola; 12-8, Loyola; 11-9, Loyola; 11-9, Loyola; 13-7, Loyola; and 11-9, Loyola. Yet, as each set waned, the Ramblers pulled away, with the final scores reading 25-18/25-14/25-18 for match one and 25-13/25-19/25-16 for match two.
The Rams were mired by mistakes on serve and receive in the initial match, which took place on Friday, Nov. 8. Fordham got just three aces while surrendering seven, and poor initial passes continuously got the club out of system, creating easier opportunities for the Ramblers to end rallies early. Indeed, the Ramblers had an easier time on the receiving end, notching 54 digs to the Rams’ 33.
Graduate student Whitley Moody paced the offense in the loss with 12 kills on .324 hitting. Junior Zoe Talabong also continued her reemergence as a primary option on the outside, posting five hammers and a match-high 13 receptions. Junior Alexa Pyle saw extended runs as freshman Sophia Kuyn and sophomore Tatum Holderied remain sidelined with injuries. She’s made the most of it, adding three block assists Friday night.
Otherwise, it was a lopsided affair defined by the discrepancy in digs and in the efficiency category — Fordham hit just .181 while Loyola-Chicago hit .382.
Saturday’s final line looked virtually identical. Fordham struck at a .196 rate and Loyola-Chicago at .350; the Rams made 35 digs to the Ramblers’ 48; the visitors had just one ace to the hosts’ seven.
One notable improvement was in the blocking. With Pyle and sophomore Lorenza Rosenkilde asked to do extra work on the middle of the floor thanks to the aforementioned injuries, they did well to shift to the pins and rise for double blocks, denying the Ramblers attacking angles. The result was a solid six-block assist, two-block solo performance as a team, headlined by Rosenkilde’s four (one solo) and junior Audrey Brown’s three (one solo).
Naumann and Moody steadied the club defensively with 10 digs a piece, while Moody added a match-high 14 kills to give her her 11th double-double of the season.
Fordham demonstrated its resilience in set two, going down 11-4 early and recovering to cut the Loyola-Chicago lead to 19-16. The Ramblers pulled away for a 25-19 victory behind a bevy of Fordham errors, but the set epitomized the Rams’ undying resilience even during a season that has gotten away from them.
The last two games of the year won’t matter for the standings on either side; Fordham will return to the Rose Hill Gymnasium for one more two-match set, this time against the Virginia Commonwealth University Rams. VCU sits at 14-2 and is guaranteed the second seed in the Atlantic 10 tournament. Nonetheless, Fordham will have a shot at an upset and may be able to end a disappointing year on a high note.
When the Rams take the floor for their final game on Saturday, Nov. 16, they’ll honor their seniors and graduates. It should be an emotional affair for a likely-departing core that played a role in the Rams’ resurgence as A-10 contenders under coach Ian Choi — an era highlighted by an A-10 championship game appearance in 2021.
Lauryn Sweeney, who was a two-way threat on the outside and had a breakout season, is a senior. Naumann, who impeccably filled the shoes of one of Fordham’s greatest-ever defenders Mallory Lipski, was sensational at libero in her senior year. Audrey Hayes, who has shaped the culture of the team and become a vocal leader on the bench, is a senior. Last but not least is Moody, who will play her final two games as a graduate student having cemented herself as the greatest player in Fordham Volleyball history, her all-time program kill record stands at 1,608 and counting.
Friday’s game against VCU will have its first serve at 3 p.m., and Saturday’s Senior Day will begin at 2 p.m.
Both games will be broadcast on ESPN+ and take place at the Rose Hill Gym, where students and fans will have free admission to watch some of the Rams’ best and brightest play their final matches.
