By Andrea Garcia
Olivia Fairchild goes for a kill against Saint Peter’s on Wednesday. (Andrea Garcia/The Fordham Ram)
Women’s Volleyball lit the court on fire last Wednesday to defeat the Saint Peter’s Peacocks, but the team was unable to sustain that level of success in the rest of their games.
The exciting rebound against Saint Peter’s came after last weekend’s 2-1 loss at the Northeastern Tournament. Fordham edged out Saint Peter’s in the early half of the first set and secured the 25-12 win. The second set started off evenly on both sides of the net, but the court swung into to a new rhythm after a visitor error and two host aces brought Fordham into the lead. Sophomore middle Olivia LaPorta and junior outside Molly Oshinski kept the Peacocks’ libero on her toes. With Saint Peter’s inability to side out for more than two points, Fordham finished off the second set 25-11. In the third set, the Rams parlayed their momentum into an early lead, but the Peacocks were able to tie the game after three rotations. Even though Saint Peter’s fed on Fordham’s match-high number of errors, the Rams reclaimed their early lead with a combined effort from their hitting line to win the third and final set 25-18.
Fordham opened strong at their first match of the Lion Invitational against the University of Hartford Hawks, closing out the first set at 25-20. The Hawks fought back to win the following two sets, 25-21 and 25-22. The Rams started to bounce back in the fourth set, opening with two kills from freshman Kaitlin Morley and senior Kristen Ostach, but a hitting error gave the Hawks service at the third play. Fordham then took back possession to secure a 6-1 lead with a four-point run. The Rams refused to let go of their commanding lead and defeated the Hawks 25-17. The fifth and final short set opened on a Fordham serve and a Hartford kill. Fordham sided out to take a three point lead. After another Fordham rotation came around, the Rams reached the halfway point to victory by going on a five-point run, bringing them up to 8-2. The Hawks could not catch up, and the Rams took the final set by a score of 15-11, handing them victory in the match.
The second day of the tournament featured a doubleheader for the Rams. First up was a 3-1 loss against the Providence Friars. Providence took an early lead and stayed in a winning position to finish the first set 25-17. The second set was much closer, and the Rams were able to push back on the Friars and even the box score with a 26-24 set. Providence reclaimed the court in the third set, and Fordham was disappointed after a 25-10 loss. The fourth and final stanza posed a challenge to the Ram’s offense, and Fordham trailed behind through the end of the game, losing 25-18 to Providence.
Fordham continued to struggle in its host match with the Columbia Lions. The Lions’ hitters dominated the net and secured an opening lead, to which Fordham’s defensive specialists were unable to catch up. Columbia more than doubled Fordham’s total, with the final score standing at 25-12. The second set was marked by a higher percentage of error on both sides of the net. The teams kept trading serve to a full rotation at the 6-5 mark, but Columbia sided out to a more definitive lead. Fordham remained in the low double digits until the Lions were in full sight of a second set win. The Fordham side was able to finish strong, but Columbia weathered the comeback and won 25-19. Fordham found itself having to fight for a fourth set. Columbia, however, took advantage of a series of Fordham errors and kept the Ram’s defensive line on their toes. The Lions swept up the last set of the match at a nail-biting score of 25-23.
This homecoming weekend, the Rams will host two opposing teams in the Rose Hill Gym. They will face off against the LaSalle Explorers on Friday at 7 p.m. and the Duquesne Dukes on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Fordham Ram 
