Photo GalleryBRONX, N.Y. -- The Fordham women's volleyball team dropped its Atlantic 10 opener Friday night in four sets to Davidson inside the Rose Hill Gym. The Rams took the opening set, 25-21, before narrowly losing the next two sets by scores of 25-23 and 30-28. Fordham was then defeated in the fourth set, 25-18. With the loss, the Rams fall to 6-11 (0-1 A-10) on the season, while the Wildcats improve to 6-8 (1-0 A-10) overall.
Sophomore
Molly Oshinski led three Rams in double-digit kills with a career-high 15 to go along with eight digs. Freshman
Natalie Martinez collected her second career double-double, as she tied her season high in kills with 14 and added 11 digs and a match-high three service aces, while senior
Brianna O'Neil earned her first double-double of the season with 12 kills and a match-high 13 digs. Freshman
Olivia LaPorta chipped in eight kills and a team-high three total blocks, and sophomore
Emily Fronk just missed tying her career high in assists with 47 while adding eight digs.
Fordham rallied in the opening set after trailing 5-1 at the start, before back-to-back kills from Oshinski and junior
Kristen Ostach started a string of six unanswered for the Rams to take a 7-5 lead. But the lead was short-lived because Davidson answered with a 10-3 spurt to go in front by a score of 15-10.
Oshinski started and ended a 5-1 flurry with kills, which brought Fordham back to within one at 16-15. Still trailing at 18-16, an O'Neil kill triggered four straight for the Rams, who took the lead for good at 20-18. The run eventually turned into an 8-1 spurt that produced a 24-19 advantage, before O'Neil's kill gave Fordham the set, 25-21, and a 1-0 lead.
The Rams jumped out to a 6-3 lead in the second set thanks to a pair of kills from Oshinski, one from Ostach, one from O'Neil, and a kill and service ace from Martinez. The Wildcats crawled back to then tie the set three times, before back-to-back kills from Martinez and Oshinski moved Fordham back in front by two at 11-9.
Still leading by two, the Rams were outscored, 4-1, as Davidson took the lead at 14-13, until Fordham regained the advantage at 15-14. The set then went back-and-forth featuring eight ties, and the Wildcats gained the edge at 24-22 while serving for the set. But a Martinez kill trimmed the deficit to 24-23, before a block allowed Davidson to claim the second set, 25-23, and tie the match at 1-1.
It was the Wildcats' turn to jump out to a 6-3 lead to open the third set, but a kill from Ostach began another string of four unanswered for the Rams, with LaPorta's kill moving Fordham in front, 7-6.
Davidson answered with five in a row, which turned into a 9-3 run and a 16-10 lead, before Oshinski started a 9-1 spurt, as four consecutive kills from Ostach, O'Neil, Oshinski and Ostach a second time manufactured a 19-17 advantage for the Rams.
The visitors retook the lead at 21-20 after tallying four of the next five, and Fordham went back in front at 22-21 after back-to-back kills from O'Neil and Martinez.
With the Wildcats serving for the set leading 24-23 and 25-24, the Rams were able to force a tie each time. Fordham then had a pair of chances to take a 2-1 lead when it was up 26-25 and 27-26, but Davidson came back to retake the lead at 28-27. O'Neil then tied it up at 28-28 with a kill, before the Wildcats scored the final two points to take the set, 30-28, and a 2-1 lead.
The Rams started the fourth set with a 4-1 lead, but Davidson responded right back to deadlock the set at 4-4. LaPorta's kill later on gave Fordham an 8-7 lead, but it would be its last of the match, as Davidson tallied the next seven to take a 14-8 lead.
The Rams climbed back to within three at 16-13 when Oshinski delivered a kill, but it was the closest they would come, as the Wildcats clinched the set, 25-18, and the match, 3-1.
Fordham returns to action Sunday, Sept. 27 when it welcomes VCU for an Atlantic 10 clash inside the Rose Hill Gym, with first serve slated for 1 p.m.
