Olivia Fairchild Named Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year

League Release | Season Stats | Record Book

Newport News, Va. – Fordham volleyball standout Olivia Fairchild has been announced as the 2016 Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, as well as a member of the Second Team All-Conference and All-Rookie Team, the league announced on Thursday morning. Fairchild enjoyed a tremendous maiden campaign in the Bronx, finishing second in the league in kills and first in service aces, and compiling the most weekly awards any Ram has ever earned in a single season. Fairchild's Rookie of the Year accolade is the first major award for Fordham since joining the A-10.

"This is such a great honor and recognition for all of Olivia's hard work that she has put in this season to be a top player in the A-10," head coach Gini Ullery said, "This is the first major award in the history of this program and I think that it shows where were are headed. I am very proud and I am looking forward to seeing her growth this spring and having the team come in next season to accomplish big things!"
 
Fairchild is the first member of an All-Conference team since Katie Wells was named to the Second Team in 2009. She is also the first member of the All-Rookie team since Krissy Buongiorno in 2011.
 
Fairchild finished the 2016 regular season with 477 kills, second-most in the league and 15th in the country, and the fourth-most in a single season and most ever by a freshman in school history. Her 4.30 kills per set average broke Tasha Johnston's 2006 mark by a wide margin, her 57 aces were tops in the A-10 this season and fourth in all of Division I, and she also added 229 digs, second-most in the squad. Her 1,191 total attacks rank fourth in program history, second in the conference, and 32nd nationally. Fairchild also finished with 554.5 points on the year, second-most in the league, and 10th in the country, good for an averaging of almost exactly five per set.

The Phoenix native, one of two Rams to play all 111 sets this season, garnered four Rookie of the Week awards and one Player of the Week award, the most a single players has earned in a season in program history. Previously, Christi Griffiths had three total weekly accolades in 2010.
 
Fairchild announced her presence loudly with a 23-kill performance at an efficient .333 clip in the year's season-opening five-set thriller against Lehigh at the CCSU Invitational. Fairchild tallied at least 13 kills in her first six contests and only failed to reach double digit kills in three matches. Fairchild notched eight matches of 20 or more kills and enjoyed a career night at La Salle in mid-October when she racked up 34 kills and 12 digs. Fairchild enjoyed nine double-doubles on the year, although she missed out on a 10^th early in the season when she tallied a season-high 17 digs but only seven kills. On two occasions, Fairchild had five aces – the win over Lehigh and a loss at Stony Brook. Her 57 aces rank sixth in a single season.