Box Score Coming off a disappointing loss to URI on Friday night, the Rams wasted no time getting back to their winning ways, downing George Mason 3-1 in the Rose Hill Gym on Saturday.
Four Rams recorded double figure kills and two players registered double doubles.
Lisa Hipp was one off her career-high with 25 kills and also tallied 13 digs.
Sara Konkel served up 55 assists and dug up 13 opposing attacks.
Carina Thompson recorded 13 kills, while
Lindsay Ritchie added 12 (a career-high) and
Brianna O'Neil chipped in 11.
The win marked
Gini Ullery's first Atlantic 10 victory as a head coach.
Fordham fell behind early in the opening set, as George Mason took nine of the match's first 14 points. From there, Fordham opened a bit of a run to get back into it, tying the game at 13 on a Hipp kill. The Rams and Patriots traded points until the score knotted at 19, but George Mason picked up some momentum late, taking the first set 25-21.
The Rams quickly turned things around in the second set, as Hipp recorded three kills to help Fordham jump out to an early 3-1 lead. The Rams continued to build their advantage when a Hipp kill followed by a Patriots error bumped the lead to five at 11-6. The Patriots made one more push in the middle of the set to slim the lead to two at 16-14, but Fordham answered right back. Coach Ullery's squad closed the set on a 9-4 run, winning it 25-18.
The third set between the Rams and Patriots was an incredibly close affair, going back and forth with neither team holding more than a two-point advantage until the score knotted at 20. George Mason took the next two points to move ahead 22-20, but the Rams answered right back with two points to tie the score. From there,
Carina Thompson and
Brianna O'Neil recorded kills and
Maria Rodenberg tallied an ace to close out the set, 25-22.
Fordham came out on fire to start the fourth set, jumping out to a 6-0 lead and forcing a George Mason timeout before the Patriots tallied a point. The Rams then went up 11-3 and forced a second Patriots timeout. After the second stoppage, George Mason chipped away at the Fordham lead, closing within two at 15-13. Hipp's 22
nd kill of the game ended the rally and the Rams began to open the lead again. Fordham widened the advantage to five at 18-13, but the Patriots fought to get back into the set. George Mason narrowed the lead to one on a few occasions, but Fordham closed out the set, 25-22, and took the match.
The Rams will conclude their non-conference schedule with a match against Stony Brook on Tuesday night at 7 PM in the Rose Hill Gym.
