Women's Volleyball Sweeps Rider to Earn Split at UMBC

BALTIMORE, Md. -- The Fordham women's volleyball team earned a split Saturday to conclude UMBC's Maddie Bingaman Memorial Tournament. After falling in four sets to Morgan State during the morning session, the Rams bounced back in the afternoon by sweeping Rider to move to 4-7 on the season while surpassing last year's win total.

Fordham vs. Morgan State
Freshman Olivia LaPorta paced the Rams with nine kills, six total blocks and three service aces. Sophomore Sarah Skelton added seven kills, with fellow classmate Emily Fronk and senior Abigail Konovodoff dishing out 22 and 15 assists, respectively. Defensively, sophomore Clarissa Cartledge led the way with 12 digs, while senior Brennan Delsing chipped in 10.

The Rams jumped out to a 4-1 start in the opening set, as freshman Breanna Jones and junior Kristen Ostach each smashed a kill. However, the Bears slowly responded to tie the set at 7-7, before taking their first lead at 9-8.

Back-to-back kills from Skelton and LaPorta, and two kills from freshman Natalie Martinez moved Fordham back in front, 12-9. But once again, Morgan State answered four straight to regain the lead at 13-12.

The Rams recaptured the lead at 15-13 with back-to-back kills from Martinez and Konovodoff and a service ace from LaPorta. Fordham then inched its advantage out to 18-15, before the Bears tied the set at 19-19 after a 4-1 flurry.

The Rams retook the lead three more times but would face set point down one, before a kill from Jones deadlocked the set at 24-24. Fordham faced two more set points, but Skelton delivered two kills each time to tie the set, with the last time coming at 26-26. But it was not enough, as Morgan State tallied the final two points to take the first set, 28-26, and a 1-0 lead.

The Rams scored the first four points and started the second set on a 6-1 run and were never really threatened. The lead stretched out to eight at 15-7 and stayed at eight when Fordham moved ahead, 20-12.

Morgan State battled back and used a 5-1 spurt to trim Ram lead to 21-17, but kills from Delsing, LaPorta and senior Brianna O'Neil coupled with an attack error clinched the set, 25-17, and tied the match at 1-1.

The Bears jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the third set, which they led wire-to-wire. Fordham fought back to within two six different times, with the last coming at 14-12 when Fronk registered a kill. Morgan State then took control by tallying five of the next six points, before closing out the set comfortably, 25-16, for a 2-1 lead.

The Rams trailed to start the fourth and final set but tied it at 2-2 very early on. Trailing 6-5, Fordham saw the Bears use three straight kills to take a 9-5 lead.

After Morgan State inched its lead out to 12-7, the Rams answered with four straight, which included kills from Skelton and LaPorta that brought them to within one at 12-11.

Fordham cut its deficit one to four more times, with the last time coming at 19-18, before the Bears closed out the set on a 6-1 run to clinch it, 25-19, and the match, 3-1.

Fordham vs. Rider
Konovodoff collected her second double-double of the season with a match-high 25 assists and a team-best 11 digs, while Jones just missed a double-double with a team-high 11 kills and nine digs. Skelton and sophomore Nicole Freeley each added eight kills, with Freeley establishing a new career high, who also led the way with a season-high four total blocks. Delsing also had 11 digs and a career-high five assists; La Porta added three more service aces; Martinez seven kills, seven digs, two service aces and two blocks; and sophomore Molly Oshinski with nine digs to tie a season high.

The first set was a tail of runs between the two sides. Trailing 3-1, a kill from Jones triggered six unanswered and seven of eight to produce an 8-4 lead for the Rams.

But the Broncs answered with an 8-2 flurry to regain the lead at 12-10 and eventually inch their advantage out to three at 18-15. However, Fordham responded with five of the next six to retake the lead at 20-19.

After Rider tied it at 20-20, the Rams scored the final five points on four attack errors and a Martinez service ace to clinch the set, 25-20, and take a 1-0 lead.

The Rams never trailed in a 25-10 blowout over the Broncs in the second set. Fordham jumped out to a 5-1 lead and never looked back. The Broncs did fight back early to cut the Ram advantage to 7-5, but Fordham tallied the next five, with Konovodoff, LaPorta and Delsing all scoring.

Leading by five at 15-10, the Rams gained service with an attack error. With LaPorta serving, Fordham scored the final nine points of the set and ended it on a 10-0 run to take it, 25-10, and a 2-0 lead in the match.

LaPorta served to start the third set, which saw the Rams open up with a 5-0 lead, before the Broncs rallied to cut the lead to 8-7. Fordham increased its lead back out to three with kills from Skelton and Martinez for a 12-8 advantage.

After Rider trimmed its deficit to 12-10, Skelton smashed a kill to start a string of five unanswered points, which included two service aces for Oshinski, as the Rams increased their lead to 17-10.

With the score 22-16, Fordham saw the Broncs tally five in a row of their own to bring them to within one at 22-21. But the Rams scored three of the final four points, and back-to-back kills from Skelton and Martinez finished of Rider, 25-22, for the 3-0 sweep.

After the conclusion of the tournament, Freeley was named to the six-member All-Tournament team.

Up Next
The Rams return to action this Tuesday, Sept. 15 when they travel to Jersey City, N.J. to take on Saint Peter's, with first serve slated for 7 p.m.