Staff Writer

After getting off to a 7-8 start this season, the Fordham volleyball team returned home to the Rose Hill Gym this past week to begin Atlantic 10 conference play. The Rams faced their first two A-10 opponents of the season in Rhode Island and George Mason and, despite struggles against Rhode Island, walked away with the win against George Mason.

The Sept. 27 game against Rhode Island was the Rams’ second home game of the season, but they were still looking to move to 2-0 at home after a win against Hofstra earlier in the month. Unfortunately, Rhode Island had other plans for the team and the Rams moved to 1-1 on the season at home following a 3-0 loss.

The first set against Rhode Island started well for Fordham, and it kept things close before the visitors got on a run that put them up 21-11 before taking the set 25-15. The second set was much of the same story as, once again, things were kept close before a Rhode Island run propelled them to a 25-16 win. The third set also went in Rhode Island’s favor in the end, 25-14.

Senior Lisa Hipp led the team in kills against Rhode Island with seven. Senior Sarah Konkel had a team leading seven assists while senior Maria Rodenberg’s 10 digs led the team.

Following the loss to Rhode Island, the Rams were back in action, taking on George Mason on Sept. 28 at home. The 3-1 win by the Rams was marked by a variety of firsts. George Mason’s trip to Rose Hill was its first as an A-10 opponent, while the win itself was the first conference win for the Rams’ first year head coach Gini Ullery.

All four sets in the game were close between the two teams. George Mason took the first set 25-21 before the Rams won three straight to take the game. The Rams’ winning set scores were 25-18, 25-22 and 25-22.

Once again Hipp led the team with 25 kills, while Konkel had a team-leading 55 assists. Konkel, Hipp and Emily Atwood all tied with 13 digs for the most on the team against George Mason.

After the win, Coach Ullery attributed her team’s strong play to their fight.

“We had the fight. We left it all on the court,” Ullery said. “After last night (the Rhode Island loss) we had a real long talk with the girls about just competing and leaving it all out there and they did tonight.”

The Rams now have a quiet week coming up with just a home game against Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 6 at 7 p.m.

With a 1-1 conference record and 8-9 record overall, the Rams currently sit third in the A-10 standings.