NEW ROCHELLE, N.Y. – Another stout performance on defense saw the Fordham University volleyball team capture a straight-set victory over Iona Thursday afternoon on the road. In addition to the defensive standouts, Zoe Talabong and Whitney Woodrow helped pace the offense with double-doubles to lead the Rams to their sixth consecutive win to open the 2023 season.
"This is a fun team to Coach, they just get it," said Head Coach Ian Choi. "They know how to make adjustments on the next point, how to stay present and fight, and most importantly, how to support each other. This team operates with no hierarchy. They all take ownership while serving each other."
Allowing just 26 kills for the match, Fordham held the Gaels to less than 10 kills in the final two sets this afternoon, holding their opponents to just .056 attacking for the match. The Rams themselves slammed 45 kills across the three frames including a match-high 18 in set one, a .214 percentage for the day. In addition to the double-double by Talabong, Fordham also saw 18 kills off the arm of Whitley Moody who had eight digs as well, just two shy of a double-dip herself.
Providing some additional assistance on both sides of the ball, Whitney Woodrow tallied her second straight double-double with 31 assists and 17 digs, while Audrey Brown tacked on nine hammers and five receptions. At the libero spot, Mallory Lipski collected 15 digs, part of a trio of double-digit receivers. At the tape, Tatum Holderied recorded three solo blocks and a block assist, while Nailah Jenkins had four block assists alongside six kills.
A back-and-forth start to the afternoon, the Rams took an early two-point lead, but the Gaels were able to keep the match close, and drawing level at several instances midway through. Fordham was able to pull away late with a pair of kills by Moody to push a three-point advantage and see out a 25-19 win in the first set.
Looking to battle back from the opening set defeat, Iona opened the second set with an early lead of their own, breaking out to as much as an 11-6 lead. An empathic response by the Rams saw an 8-2 run by the visitors to level the score at 13-all, and after the Gaels tied the score once more, Fordham would never look back, pulling away for a 25-17 victory to go up two sets to none.
Neither side would want to give an inch as the third frame got underway, trading point for point, despite multiple attempts by Iona to pull away. The Rams would erase a three-point run by the Gaels with one of their own to tie at 9-9, and the sides would tie twice more before Fordham closed the game on a 13-3 run to remain undefeated on the year.
Fordham volleyball is back in action from New Rochelle tomorrow, playing its second match of the Iona Invitational against LIU at 4:00 p.m.
