BRONX, N.Y. – Returning to the win column in conference play, Fordham University volleyball took down Rhode Island in straight sets Wednesday at the Rose Hill Gym. The win is the Rams' second in Atlantic 10 play as they improve to 11-4 overall in 2023.
Audrey Brown would lead the Rams' offense Wednesday, slamming 12 kills to lead a group of six players on the attack while adding five block assists defensively. Nailah Jenkins and Whitley Moody would each tally seven hammers for Fordham, which hit .231 as a team for the night while holding URI to just .040 attacking across the three sets. Whitney Woodrow would direct the offense for most of the day, with 28 of the team's 33 assists, while finishing second on the team with 14 digs alongside a pair of kills.
Leading the receptions once again was libero Mallory Lipski with 16 digs in addition to four assists, while Moody, with 10 digs rounded out a trio of double-digit receivers. On the block, Tatum Holderied registered seven block assists and one solo, followed by Brown and Jenkins who added three additional block assists.
"We've been really focused on unlocking the mental side of the game and deconstructing what it means to be a mature competitor and it showed," said Head Coach Ian Choi. "The team started every set with a process-centric approach executing at a high level. There's still work to be done but it was a decisive win and we're happy with the strides we've made."
With the team's trading the first 12 points to open play, Fordham would take a quick run to establish an early 10-6 advantage in the opening set. Taking as much as an eight-point advantage during the frame, Fordham would take the set by six points to win 25-19. The home side would dominate out of the gates in set two as well, taking a 6-2 advantage early, this time around going up by seven at one point, before a quick rally by Rhode Island forced a timeout.
Out of that stoppage, the Rams would regain their footing and maintain the lead in the set before going on to take it by five and take a 2-0 lead. Much like the first stanza, the two sides would stay close early, but URI couldn't muster more than a two-point lead at any point in the set. Keeping the frame close, Fordham would battle back and take the lead at 19-18, starting a 6-1 run to close the match and seal the second victory of the year for the Rams through the first four A-10 matches.
Conference play continues for Fordham Volleyball this weekend, with the second of three straight weekend road trips as the Rams head to VCU this Saturday and Sunday.
