BRONX, N.Y. -- The Fordham women's volleyball team dropped a mostly-exciting four-set match to Rhode Island Saturday evening in Atlantic 10 play inside the Rose Hill Gym. The visitors needed extra time to claim a 28-26 victory in the opening set, before the Rams bounced back with a two-point win, 25-23, in the second set. Rhode Island then hung on to win the third set, 25-21, and finally put Fordham away with a 25-13 triumph in the fourth set. With the loss, the Rams fall to 8-21 (2-10 A-10) on the season, while URI improves to 18-7 (8-4 A-10) overall.
Prior to the match, seniors
Brennan Delsing,
Abigail Konovodoff and
Brianna O'Neil were honored on Senior Night, as the trio played their final match inside the Rose Hill Gym.
In the contest, junior
Kristen Ostach led the Rams with 13 kills, which tied her career high, while freshman
Breanna Jones added 11 kills and eight digs. Freshman
Natalie Martinez chipped in nine kills, and sophomore
Emily Fronk dished out 36 assists. Defensively, Delsing led the way with a match-high 16 digs, while sophomore
Grace Muller added a season-high 11. Martinez also produced a team-best three total blocks.
Fordham took an early 4-2 lead thanks to a kill from Ostach and a block-assist from Ostach and Martinez. Back-to-back kills from Jones and fellow classmate
Olivia LaPorta later on in the set increased the Ram advantage to 12-8.
Still leading by four at 15-11, Fordham saw Rhode Island rattle off four in a row and nine of the next 11 to take a 20-17 lead, before the visitors stretched their advantage out to 23-19 to cap a 12-4 run. But Fordham responded by scoring six of the next seven points, as back-to-back kills from Martinez and O'Neil coupled with a service ace from Martinez moved the Rams back in front by one at 25-24.
After Rhode Island tied it at 25-25, Ostach delivered a kill, which gave Fordham a second chance to win the set. However, Rhode Island had other ideas because the Rams scored the final three points to take the first set, 28-26, for a 1-0 lead.
Fordham took its first lead in the second set after scoring three in a row when Ostach's kill put the Rams in front 6-5. After Rhode Island answered with three in a row, Ostach started a 6-1 flurry to move the Rams back ahead, 12-9.
The visitors then tallied four of the next five to tie the set at 13-13, before Fordham scored the next two points to retake the lead at 15-13. Rhode Island would score seven of the next 10 points to take a 20-18 lead. But once again, Fordham fought back to tie the set at 20-20.
Rhode Island regained control again and looked primed to take the second set when it went back in front, 23-21. However, the Rams had other ideas. A block-assist from LaPorta and Martinez and three straight kills from that same duo moved Fordham into the winner's circle, 25-23, while tying the match at 1-1.
The Rams trailed 11-6 to start the third set, but back-to-back kills from LaPorta and kills from Martinez and Jones cut the deficit to 11-10. However, Rhode Island responded in a big way by tallying eight straight and 10 of 11 to take a commanding 20-11 lead. Fordham, however, was not done, as a kill from O'Neil triggered six straight, with Ostach's kill cutting the visitor's advantage to 20-17.
The Rams climbed as close as two at 23-21, but Rhode Island scored the final two points to clinch the set, 25-21, for a 2-1 lead.
Rhode Island jumped out to a 14-5 lead in the fourth set and never looked back, as Fordham could only get to within eight at 16-8 when LaPorta smashed a kill. The visitors scored five of the final six points to win the set, 25-13, and the match, 3-1.
The Rams return to action next weekend when they conclude the season at VCU (Saturday, Nov. 14) and at Davidson (Sunday, Nov. 15).
