Volleyball Returns Home to Host George Mason, George Washington

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Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham volleyball team (10-16, 3-8 A-10) returns home after a five-match three-week road swing to finish out the regular season with three more Atlantic 10 contests. The Rams play two this weekend, on Friday at noon against George Mason (6-18, 2-9 A-10) for the team's annual Field Trip Day, welcoming many local students for a morning of games and prizes in addition to the match, and George Washington (10-16, 3-8 A-10) on Sunday at 1 p.m. The team has opted for Sunday to be Senior Day and will honor lone senior Kristen Ostach before the match.
 
Dig Pink
The Fordham volleyball team is working to help raise money for the Montefiore Einstein Center for Cancer Care's Bronx Oncology Living Daily program. Through the program, breast cancer patients can access free wellness and support services, including BOLD Wellness Workshops and the BOLD Buddy Patient Navigation Program. The BOLD Living program helps underserved breast cancer patients throughout the Bronx adhere to and complete their breast cancer treatment.
 
The team will announce the winners of the month-long raffle, with possible prizes including several gift cards, two MAC product bags, a Tiffany's silver jewelry box, a Fordham swag bag, a Montefiore swag bag, and both Men's and Women's basketball tickets during Friday's contest.
 
The team is in their last week of the fundraiser. To make a donation, please click here.
 
Last Time Out
Fordham struggled on offense last weekend, posting its two least-efficient showings of the season, with team attack percentages in the negatives in both three-set losses at VCU and Davidson. The defense did total five total blocks on Friday and three on Sunday and held both teams under .200 but the Rams and Wildcats were a force on the defensive end, combining for 29 total blocks.
 
National/Conference Rankings
The Rams are no longer first in the country with the most service aces and have fallen down to 10^th, with 167. The team's 1.69 aces per set mark ranks 17^th in the country.
 
At the individual level, Fairchild's 51 aces remain the third-most total in Division I, while she fell back one spot to ninth in kills with 366, seventh in points (499.5), and 29^th in attacks (1,067). Maddy Walsh was bumped from the top spot as the league leader in assists by La Salle's Kathryn Wood, over two more sets, but still ranks second and 65^th in the country with her 911 helpers. Freshman Kaitlin Morley's recent outburst of aces has put her at 37^th overall with 36 total.
 
Program Ranks
Fairchild's tremendous  freshman campaign has poised to rank near or at the top of several single-season program records. The Phoenix, Ariz. native recently became the eighth Ram to ever hit 400 kills in a single campaign and is currently ranked sixth, 15 behind Lisa Hipp's 2012 mark. Her 4.34 kills per set average would be the most by a wide margin, Tasha Johnston's 3.82 mark in 2006 currently sits first. Fairchild recently entered the top-10 in total attacks and ranks ninth with 1,067, 15 behind Val Bosticco's number in 1990. Bosticco also holds the record with 1,373 the year after. Fairchild's 51 aces rank 12^th in school history, just four behind Jenn Shea's 1992 clip for 10^th, but her 0.52 per-set number currently ranks fifth-highest.
 
Maddy Walsh's assist numbers (911 total and 9.49 average) sit just outside the top-10 in her respective categories with three matches to play. Morgan Williams' 366 digs this season while appearing in all 99 sets is just 12 off the top-10, behind Stephanie Frost's 2005 mark, while also in a tie for third-highest per-set average with 3.70 alongside Maria Rodenberg in 2013.
 
Series History vs. George Mason
The Rams and Patriots are knotted up at three matches apiece since their first meeting in in 2013 when George Mason joined the A-10. Earlier this season, Fordham defeated Mason on the road, 3-1, as part of its 3-1 start to league play. The last time these two teams played in the Bronx, in 2014, the Rams triumphed, 3-1, as well.  
 
Scouting the Patriots
As much as Fordham has struggled on the offensive end, George Mason has struggled worse, with the league's worst attack percentage (.159). They are middle of the pack in most other categories, however. Catie Espinoza has been a bright spot on defense with the third-highest digs per set average in the conference (4.65) and fourth-most total (428) in just 92 sets.
 
Series History vs. George Washington
Since Fordham joined the A-10 in 1995, the Colonials hold a 32-8 advantage in the all-time series. George Washington won 17 of the first 18 matches in the series, before a three-year period when Fordham took five of eight, before the Colonials again took the reins. The Rams broke a seven-match and five-year slide earlier this season with a straight sweep in our nation's capital. Fordham holds a 4-13 record in the Bronx.
 
Scouting the Colonials
George Washington, on the other hand, does not typically struggle offensively. They have the third-highest team-wide hit percentage in the league (.214) but allow opponents to hit .229 against them. That said, they still block opponents at a 2.23 per set clip and have the third-highest total (214.0). Chidima Osuchukwu is a force on both ends, with a .340 attacking clip and 124 total blocks, second-most in the league. Osuchukwu is tied for first in the conference with 35 solo swaps.
 
Up Next
The Rams finish the regular season next Saturday by hosting Rhode Island, currently in second place, inside the Rose Hill Gym at 2 p.m.