Volleyball Opens Home Slate with Manhattan on Wednesday Night

Watch Live | Live Stats | Twitter Updates on @FordhamVB
 
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham volleyball team (2-1) took two out of three to finish runner-up at last weekend's Blue Devil Classic and now turns its attention to Wednesday evening's home opener against nearby Manhattan (0-3) inside the Rose Hill Gymnasium. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. but all fans are encouraged to come out early for the Welcome Back BBQ that will begin at 6:30 p.m.
 
The match can be streamed live through the A-10 Digital Network at the link above or fans can follow along with live stats and twitter updates, also found above.
 
Last Time Out
Head Coach Gini Ullery's latest recruiting class was touted as a group of exciting and talented players who would create competition and depth within the squad but they made a big impact during the preseason and all five newcomers earned starting roles to begin the campaign. Joining them were sophomore Breanna Jones and lone senior Kristen Ostach. The Rams jumped out to a 2-0 lead on the year for the first time since 2010, first with a five-set win over Lehigh on Friday night and then a 3-1 victory over Iona, before falling to the hosts in the championship round, 3-1. Freshmen Olivia Fairchild and Morgan Williams were named to the All-Tournament team.
 
Through three games, the offensive trio of Jones, Fairchild, and freshman Kaitlin Morley have combined for 131 kills, with Fairchild's 57 and 4.38 kills/set average standing out. Sophomore transfer Maddy Walsh assisted on a whopping 135 points over the weekend, good for joint-19^th in the country, while Williams, the team's libero, has racked up 49 digs. Morley's nine service aces rank third in the league. Defensively, Ostach and freshman Elise Benjamin have each started with eight total blocks. The Rams' 28 aces rank sixth in the country and their 2.13 aces per set is ranked 23^rd in the nation, as well.
 
A10 Rookie of the Week
Fairchild's 57 kills, seven aces, 16 digs, and five block assists helped the Phoenix, Ariz. native to her first collegiate weekly award, the A-10 Rookie of the Week honor. Fairchild's 57 kills are tied for 18^th in the nation.
 
Scouting the Jaspers
The Jaspers were recently picked to finish fourth in the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) by the league's coaches, earning 68 points to share the fourth spot with Rider University. Manhattan is coming over three straight 20-win seasons under head coach Mark Jones, the 2010 MAAC Coach of the Year. To start the season, Jaspers have struggled to a 0-3 record at the Spartan Invitational, hosted by San Jose State. Manhattan was swept in all three contests. Jones has mixed and matched his starters over the weekend, with 10 different players starting at least one contest. The lone player to start all three, Marissa Behrens, has six kills and seven total blocks. As a team, they have tallied 84 kills, compared to Fordham's 157, and are hitting at only a .097 clip.
 
Up Next
Labor Day weekend will play host to the 2016 iteration of the Rose Hill Classic, with a twist. Friday's match against St. Francis Brooklyn will be played in Brooklyn Heights and the other two matches will be played in the Bronx on Saturday, against Quinnipiac and NJIT, at 11:30 a.m. and 4 p.m.