DAVIDSON, N.C. -- The Fordham women's volleyball team concluded its season Sunday with a three-set loss to Davidson inside Belk Arena. With the loss, the Rams finish the season with an overall record of 8-23 (2-12 A-10), while the Wildcats end their year at 12-16 (6-8 A-10) overall.
Freshman
Breanna Jones led the offense with nine kills, while junior
Kristen Ostach and freshman
Natalie Martinez added eight and seven kills, respectively. Martinez also added two service aces, and sophomore
Emily Fronk dished out 30 assists.
Playing in her final match, senior
Brennan Delsing recorded a team-high 12 digs, while sophomore
Clarissa Cartledge chipped in 10 to lead the defense. Freshman
Olivia LaPorta tallied a team-best four total blocks.
Fordham scored three straight points early in the first set to take its first lead, 3-2, as LaPorta delivered two of the points with a kill and her only service ace. But that would be the only time the Rams were in front because Davidson took control with a 12-3 run to take a 14-6 lead. The home team never looked back to win the set, 25-13, for a 1-0 lead.
The visitors spotted the Wildcats a 4-0 lead in the second set, but Fordham navigated its way back, as back-to-back-to-back kills from Ostach (with two in a row) and Jones produced an 8-7 advantage. But Davidson quickly answered with five in a row and six of seven to regain the lead, 13-9.
The Rams never were able to move back in front and hung within three to five points the rest of the way, as the Wildcats took a 2-0 lead with the 25-19 victory.
After yielding the first point in the third set, Fordham tallied the next five to start out with a 5-1 lead. After Davidson cut the advantage to 5-4, the Rams would lead by one or two until the Wildcats tied the set at 9-9.
Fordham retook the lead and scored four of the next five points, with Jones smashing three kills, which produced a 13-10 lead. The advantage eventually reached four thanks to a team service ace that made it 17-13 in favor of the Rams.
The home team, however, made a move and was awarded six of the next seven points to take a 19-18 lead. The run eventually stretched to 9-2, which increased Davidson's edge to 22-19.
Fordham was not finished and tied the set at 22-22, as sophomore Nicole Freely recorded a kill and a block-assist with Martinez. But the Wildcats would not be denied and scored the final three points to clinch the set, 25-22, and the match, 3-0.
The Rams lose Delsing,
Brianna O'Neil and
Abigail Konovodoff to graduation but will return 10 letterwinners for 2016.
