Volleyball Stays Local for Battle of the Big Apple this Weekend

VB Schedule
 
Bronx, N.Y. – The Fordham volleyball team (7-3) will finish its nonconference slate with a trio of matches at this weekend's Battle of the Big Apple, held at Columbia (3-3) and also featuring LIU Brooklyn (4-6) and St. Francis Brooklyn (4-7). The Rams will take on the Lions on Friday night at 7 p.m. before facing off against both the Blackbirds and Terriers in doubleheader action on Saturday, at 12 p.m. and 4 p.m., respectively.
 
All three matches will be streamed on the Ivy League Network and there will be live stats, as well. The links are different for each match and can be found at the team's schedule above.
 
Last Time Out
Fordham participated in the GCU Tournament in Phoenix, Ariz. The Rams were the first opponent for the Lopes on their new home court at GCU Arena and the match did not disappoint. In front of a large and rowdy crowd, plus a very solid traveling Fordham contingent, the Rams were victorious over four sets. The visitors coasted to wins in the first two sets, before letting the penultimate frame slip out of their grasp, leading to another comfortable win in set four. Sophomore standout Olivia Fairchild led the way with a game-high 19 kills (.318) to go with 13 digs and a career-high six blocks, one solo, while Kaitlin Morley set a new career-high with 18 digs, also adding 13 kills, and McKenna Lahr posted a double-double of 10 kills and 10 digs. Olivia LaPorta was terrific on both ends at the net, tallying nine kills at a .563 clip to go with five blocks. The win improved the team to 7-1 on the year, making it the best-ever start in program history. The Rams, however, responded with losses the following day to Idaho and Gonzaga.
 
Series Histories
The Lions lead the all-time series against Fordham, 9-4, dating back to 1983. Fordham has wins in 1992, 1995, 1997, and 2007, three of which were sweeps, including the most recent of those meetings, and in five sets in '95. The two schools didn't meet between the latter two wins for Fordham, between 1997 and 2007, but after that last victory, Columbia has taken three straight in 2010, 2013, and last year, with Fordham winning one fewer set along the way. Fairchild led the way a year ago with a double-double (game-high 14 kills and 10 digs), as did Maddy Walsh, who racked up 26 assists and 11 digs.
 
Fordham and LIU Brooklyn have only met twice, in 1997 and 2004, and the Rams won both meetings. The Blackbirds won their only set in the latter meeting in neutral territory. The first match was in the Bronx.
 
Fordham and St. Francis Brooklyn's rivalry dates all the way back to 1979, of which there is no official record of said match. However, the two schools have met 14 times since, with Fordham holding a 10-4 advantage. The Rams and Terriers played 11 times before the turn of the century, with the Rams winning all but two. The rivalry was put on hold between 1995 and 2012, but St. Francis Brooklyn has taken two of the last three since 2012, including a five-set win last year. In 2015, Fordham swept the Terriers in the Rose Hill Gym. Last year's match was a thriller, with Fordham taking the first and third sets and the final frame coming down to the wire, 16-14, in favor of St. Francis on its home court. Fairchild led the way with 18 kills and 10 digs, adding four aces, while Breanna Jones and Kaitlin Morley combined for 20 kills and 15 digs. Morgan Williams also notched 25 digs, which would stand as her career-high until earlier this season.
 
Aces in the Hole
The Rams are third in all of Division I with 81 aces and second with 2.25 aces per set. They are led by freshman McKenna Lahr, who has 20 of those aces, ranked 15^th, and a 0.74 ace per set rate, ranked third. Lahr's current mark is currently tied with Jenn Shea for the single-season record. They are not the top marks in the conference, however, as Sien Gallop of Saint Louis' 0.81 rate is slightly better, as is La Salle's Alyssa Cianciulli's 29 aces. Both Fairchild and Williams each have 13 aces through 10 games, with Molly Oshinski's 12 right behind. Three others have at least five.
 
National Rankings
In addition to Fordham's prowess along the baseline, the Rams have players in the top-100 in several other categories, as well. Fairchild ranks 43^rd overall, and first in the conference, with 4.64 points per set and her 167.0 points overall is 55^th. The sophomore is also 64^th the nation with 143 kills and 65^th with 3.97 kills per set. Williams' 4.47 digs per set rank 94^th and her 161 total digs ranks 64^th. The former mark would easily be the best single-season rate in school history. As a team, the Rams rank 17^th with an opponent hit percentage of .122, 68^th with a team hit percentage of .247, and 91^st with 319 total kills.
 
Williams Digs Into History
Despite a loss to Cleveland State, sophomore libero Williams tied a program record with 22 digs in just three sets two weeks ago in Fordham's home opener. Williams' personal best is 26, set at New Orleans on opening day earlier this year. The talented sophomore's 4.47 digs per set average would easily be a new single-season record. She's on pace, also, to tally a top-three total digs number, as well.
 
Up Next
Atlantic 10 play begins with two road matches, at Davidson and at VCU next weekend, starting with the Wildcats on September 22^nd at 7 p.m. before a noon start against the (other) Rams on the 24^th.