Fordham Volleyball played back-to-back matches last Friday and Saturday on the road against the Saint Louis University Billikensand just barely lost both. Each went to a full five sets and was back and forth throughout. However, they managed to defeat George Washington University in both matches this past weekend.
Starting with the first match against Saint Louis, the Rams began streaky, something that would, unfortunately, set the tone for the first weekend. Inconsistency plagued Fordham throughout, going on short scoring runs in the first set but eventually falling 25-18. Similarly, they failed to close out the second, losing 25-17. In the third, a rhythm was finally established, with the Rams going on a 15-3 run led mostly by sophomore Audrey Brown, freshman Whitney Woodrow and senior Whitley Moody. The third ended 25-19, with the fourth set going similarly as a 25-22 win for Fordham. For the win of the day, with everything on the line, the team just fell short. The fifth set ended 18-16, and Fordham was unable to put the Billikens away when leading 16-15. Saint Louis scored three straight points and came out on top with the 3-2 win.
The next day, Fordham would face the same disappointing fate. A 3-2 loss started with two straight Saint Louis wins of 25-20 and 27-25. The Rams would win the next two, 25-18 and 25-20. However, they lost 15-9 in the fifth set. Moody again played well, landing 20 kills on the day, while Woodrow would have 43 assists.
Fordham played solid in both losses, but the negative impact in the bigger picture is starting to materialize. The team played exceptionally in non-conference play, darting off to a 10-1 start, a huge improvement for the program compared to years past. The losses were starting to stack up, making the wins against George Washington that much more important.
The first match against George Washington was certainly a nailbiter, but the Rams were able to pull out the 3-2 victory through five sets. Brown again played stellar, with 22 kills. Woodrow also finished with 47 assists, being a key contributor throughout. In the second match, Fordham came ready to play and crushed their opponent 3-0. All were close, as the scores of the three sets were 26-24, 25-16 and 25-23, respectively. It was a great sign to see the Rams able to close out matches and put away teams that they previously had trouble sweeping.
Overall, the team’s inability to succeed against some middling A-10 programs like Saint Louis is a sign of concern, but the promise shown against George Washington gives reason to believe hope lies ahead. They are currently in the hardest stretch of their schedule, so some struggle was expected. The next few weeks will prove to be instrumental in how this season finishes, as they have multiple beatable opponents coming up in the University of Rhode Island and Davidson College. The Rams currently stand at 14-7 on the year and 5-6 in conference play. Fordham will hope to build off the two wins against George Washington and continue with what was once a red-hot start.
