BRONX, N.Y. – The Fordham Rams dropped a thriller to the visiting Saint Louis Billikens on Friday night by a score of three sets to two.
With the loss, Fordham drops to 9-12 on the regular season, and 3-5 in Atlantic 10 play. With the victory, Saint Louis improves to 10-11 on the season, and 4-4 in conference.
Set One
Fordham jumped out to an early lead in set one, building themselves an 11-7 advantage. Reigning A10 Rookie of the Week
Johanna Franzen picked up three key kills in that stretch to build the Fordham lead. Following a timeout, the Billikens battled back to close the gap. Saint Louis picked up three service aces in the first set, helping to swing momentum in their favor. The Billikens then pulled away, scoring four unanswered to break a 21-21 tie and close out the set.
Set Two
The second frame started off as a tense back-and-forth affair. The Rams and Billikens traded points up to a 7-7 tie through the opening moments. Then, Fordham took off. The Rams scored seven unanswered to take a 14-7 lead behind more strong play up front from Franzen and
Mila Micunovic. After a timeout, the Rams kept cruising, as Ana del Angel Aguilar picked up three service aces to help increase the lead to 22-9. The Billikens fought back late in the set, going on a run to close the gap to 24-17. It was too little too late for Saint Louis however, as Micunovic picked up a kill to take the set and even the match at one. Fordham hit .385 as a team during the set two victory.
Set Three
The Saint Louis attack was clicking to begin set three, as they jumped out to an early 11-7 lead. The visiting side pulled away shortly thereafter, going on a 14-5 run to close out the set. Fordham struggled to connect on some swings in the third frame, committing ten attack errors. On the flipside, the Billikens hit .321 en route to a 25-13 victory.
Set Four
Fordham shot out of the gate in set four, scoring the first four points to trigger an early Saint Louis timeout. The Rams kept the pressure on, taking a 12-5 lead and forcing the Billikens to pause yet again. Saint Louis came charging back, tightening the set to just a two-point margin at 16-14. The Rams did not falter however, as they held on for a 24-21 set victory. Service helped tip the scales in Fordham's favor. Two late service aces by the Rams, and a service error by the Billikens helped seal the deal and force a deciding set five.
Set Five
Saint Louis got the first advantage in the deciding set. The Billikens jumped out to a quick 9-2 lead, behind three crucial service aces. Saint Louis kept their foot on the gas, finishing off a convincing 15-5 set victory to take the match.
The Stats
- Johanna Franzen led the way for Fordham with 13 kills, and also picked up ten digs.
- Mila Micunovic helped out the Fordham attack, picking up 11 kills.
- Freshman Giada Ianuale dished out 33 assists across the match.
- Ozge Ozaslan dug out 14 balls to lead the way for Fordham.
- Tatum Holderied had a nice game up front, picking up eight kills and a team-high five blocks.
What's Next?
The Rams and Billikens will rematch on Saturday, October 17 at 2 p.m. in Rose Hill Gym.
