BRONX, N.Y. – It took a thrilling five-sets of action to open the 2023 home schedule for Fordham University Volleyball, but a late rally in the deciding frame saw the Rams pull away for a 3-2 victory Friday afternoon. A trio of attackers finished with double-digit kills for the home side, who improve to 8-1 with one match left before the Atlantic-10 season gets underway.
Both teams hit above .200 for the match, hammering 10 or more kills each way through the first four sets of play, with limited errors on both sides. The teams would duel back-and-forth through all five sets Friday afternoon, with Dartmouth taking extra points to force a fifth set, before the Rams closed the day with nine kills on just two errors in the final period.
Audrey Brown would lead the offense with 18 kills on just two errors, ahead of Whitley Moody who had yet another double-double, this time nailing 14 kills and collected 11 digs. Zoe Talabong with 10 digs would be the third Ram in double figures, while at the setter spot, Whitney Woodrow tallied 36 assists and 15 digs for a double-double as well. Elsewhere for the Rams Nailah Jenkins in her first home appearance at the Rose Hill Gym recorded eight hammers and five blocking assists, pacing the team on the defensive side of that statline.
Fordham would take as much as a five-point advantage in the opening set, a lead that would give them enough of a cushion to take the opening frame by two, 25-23. The teams would trade blows in the second frame, with both sides taking their first timeout early on, before Dartmouth gained an early advantage, quickly answered by a Fordham run. The Big Green would counter with a victory in set two but were answered by nearly the exact same score in the third frame, as the Rams won 25-17 to go up 2-1 in the set.
In set four, neither side would give an inch early on, before Fordham looked to push a lead that was quickly answered by a run from the visitors. That give-and-take play would continue beyond 25 points for either side, with Dartmouth eventually taking the set 28-26 to force a winner-take-all drag race to 15 points. Once again the two sides stayed close, but a run by Fordham to push an 8-5 lead gave the Rams what they needed to drive away late and secure their first home victory in their first appearance of the year at the Rose Hill Gym.
With one match left on the docket to wrap-up non-conference play, Fordham Volleyball is back in action Sunday, Sept. 17 at 1:00 p.m. when they take on FDU to close out the Rose Hill Classic.
