ECAC Release

Danbury, Conn. – Fordham volleyball standout Olivia Fairchild can add another end-of-season honor to her budding resume – Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) Rookie of the Year, it was announced on Wednesday afternoon. This is the second major award that Fairchild has received after being named the Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year two weeks ago.
 
Fairchild was also named to the A-10 All-Conference Second Team, the first member of an All-Conference team since Katie Wells was named to the Second Team in 2009. She is also the first member of the All-Rookie team since Krissy Buongiorno in 2011.
 
Fairchild finished the 2016 regular season with 477 kills, the fourth-most in a single season and most ever by a freshman in school history. Her 4.30 kills per set average broke Tasha Johnston's 2006 mark by a wide margin, her 57 aces were tops in the A-10 this season and top-10 nationally, and she also added 229 digs, second-most in the squad. She also set two single game kills records: most kills in a three-set match (23) and four-set match (24). Fairchild was also three kills shy of breaking Val Bosticco's 26-year record of most kills in a five-set match (36) in a loss at La Salle.
 
The Phoenix native, one of two Rams to play all 111 sets this season, garnered four Rookie of the Week awards and one Player of the Week award, the most a single players has earned in a season in program history. Previously, Christi Griffiths had three total weekly accolades in 2010.
 
Fairchild announced her presence loudly with a 23-kill performance at an efficient .333 clip in the year's season-opening five-set thriller against Lehigh at the CCSU Invitational. Fairchild tallied at least 13 kills in her first six contests and only failed to reach double digit kills in three matches. Fairchild notched eight matches of 20 or more kills and enjoyed a career night at La Salle in mid-October when she racked up 34 kills and 12 digs. Fairchild enjoyed nine double-doubles on the year, although she missed out on a 10^th early in the season when she tallied a season-high 17 digs but only seven kills. On two occasions, Fairchild had five aces – the win over Lehigh and a loss at Stony Brook. Her 57 aces rank sixth in a single season.  
 
Since its establishment in 1938, the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) has emerged as the largest and only multi-divisional conference in the nation. The ECAC sponsors over 30 men and women's varsity sports while promoting and developing the leadership and growth of over 11,000 student-athletes. The ECAC is committed to enhancing the student-athlete experience while maintaining equitable opportunities for those participants and promotion member institutions.