After an arduous, 22-day stretch without touching home hardwood, Fordham University Women’s Volleyball finally returned to the Rose Hill Gymnasium last Friday.
While the venue brought refreshing familiarity to the squad, it bore a different look than in years past. Initially constructed in 1925, the gym will celebrate its centennial in January; in honor of the occasion, the floor was renovated. As the Rams warmed up, they laced their shoes over a remodeled floor: the heralded block “F” logo is no more, replaced by a detailed stencil of the iconic Rams logo, elegantly overshadowed by “Fordham,” scrawled in maroon script.
The Rams had the privilege of being the first Fordham team to play in the redesigned gym. They did so under special circumstances, hosting the 21st edition of the Rose Hill Classic, which featured Fordham, Binghamton University, West Virginia University and Seton Hall University.
Despite playing on a shiny new surface, Fordham delivered a less-than-polished product in their homecoming. Facing a studded Binghamton squad that traveled downstate amid a 6-1 stretch, the Rams struggled at the net and succumbed to the Bearcats in three quick sets.
It was a match abundant in errors and lacking in execution — a far cry from the prowess the Rams showed a week prior at Columbia University. From misplayed receptions to poor serves, the Rams committed 18 errors to the Bearcats’ nine. They also struggled to impose their will above the net — though they entered play fourth in the Atlantic 10 in blocks, they mustered just two to their opposition’s 10.
It may have been a case of first-home-game nerves for the Rams, who had an especially rough time acclimating to Binghamton’s relentless attack in the first frame. While fifth year Binghamton star Ilieva Tsvetelina was prolific, the Rams were their own worst enemy, lodging six attack errors and five service errors as the Bearcats cruised to a 25-15 victory.
The Rams played a bit cleaner in set two but were overpowered at the net, getting out-killed 14-9. Facing an early deficit, the team showcased its omnipresent resilience for the Fordham faithful, rallying with graduate student Whitley Moody at the line for a 4-0 run. Despite tightening the score to 14-12, the Bearcats surged ahead for a 25-16 set two win.
Set three was Fordham’s best; the Rams were lockstep with the Bearcats for much of the frame, building momentum from a thunderous crowd and an impressively coordinated routine of dances from the bench after each point. The volume reached its apex from the play of senior Lauryn Sweeney — the outside hitter rattled off two hammers early, and toed the service line for a 5-0 Rams rally that gave them a 9-8 lead. Despite Sweeney’s heroics and the gym’s spirited chants, the Bearcats ultimately muted the fanfare with a 25-19 finishing blow, completing the sweep.
On the whole, it was an uncharacteristic loss for the Rams — they posted a .080 hitting percentage, a far cry from their .207 mark for the season. Sweeney was superb, as was freshman Sophia Kuyn, who mounted a team-high .625 hitting percentage on six kills. While senior Ryan Naumann continues to emerge as the team’s lead libero, sprawling along the hardwood en route to a 15-dig night, the rest of the Rams’ defense proved insufficient against a Binghamton attack that ranks top 50 in the nation in kills, assists and service aces.
Once again, in the wake of a devastating loss, the Rams displayed their toughness by putting together an enthralling performance 24 hours later against Seton Hall. The Pirates entered on a 6-1 heater, just like the Bearcats, and boasted a historic dominance of the Rams, entering with a 13-4 head-to-head record.
Despite the tale of the tape, Fordham’s tenacity and pliability proved overpowering: in set one, Moody ignited the Rams at the line, posting a service ace as Fordham burst out to a 4-0 lead. The teams went tit for tat from there, but Fordham never surrendered its lead. Junior Audrey Brown led the way with five kills, while sophomore setter Whitney Woodrow tacked on 11 assists in a 25-20 triumph.
Set two was akin to a thrilling rally — neither team could hold the advantage for long, going back and forth to the tune of 12 lead changes. Eventually, with freshman Özge Özaslan serving and Kuyn contributing on two consecutive blocks, the score went from 23-23 to 25-23, netting the Rams a 2-0 edge in the match.
Set three was just as close, with the Pirates finding a way to extend the match, 25-23; the Rams’ sudden lack of enforcement bit them, as they failed to tally a single block in the frame.
In a potential put-away period, Fordham exercised its clutch gene. Woodrow riled up the crowd and the team with two service aces at the match’s inception, giving the Rams a 3-0 start. Seton Hall came storming back; with a 18-15 Pirates lead, Sweeney again ignited a rally with a forceful hammer. Then, Moody delivered two straight service aces — tie game.
The teams went point for point until the Rose Hill Gym jumbotron read 22-22. Sophomore Lola Fernandez stepped behind the service line. Off a Pirates reception, Moody roused the bench with a powerful slam: 23-22. With the match hanging in the balance, it was sophomore Lorenza Rosenkilde who quite literally rose to the occasion. She skied for two straight blocks as the Rams stormed the court having defeated a Big East rival for the first time since 2015.
The team exited the gym and headed to the bell located to the right of its front doors. Just as Moody helped lift them to victory, the team lifted Moody, who rang the bell, marking Fordham athletics’ first win in the new Rose Hill Gym.
Moody finished with 15 kills on a .400 clip, tacking on four service aces, five blocks, and 14 digs in one of her finest all-around performances. Brown led all players with 17 kills, while Sweeney added 10 more. Woodrow was again pivotal in setting them up, doling out 43 assists while adding 17 receptions.
After navigating a gauntlet of strong non-conference foes, Fordham will host St. Louis University on Friday and Saturday for the opening weekend of A-10 play. These Rams are battle-tested, and they appear ready to compete for the ever-elusive A-10 championship: the road to glory begins now.
