The Rams and coach Gini Ullery have started their 2014 season slowly, going winless in their first six matches, but have a key tournament this weekend. Samuel Joseph/The Ram
By Anthony Pucik
After a 10-20 season under first year head coach Gini Ullery, the Fordham volleyball team looks to improve its record in the 2014 campaign. They started their season out west at the San Francisco Invitational on Friday, Aug. 29, against some very tough competition.
They kicked off the tournament against the SEC Georgia Bulldogs and fell three sets to one. The next day they played the University of San Francisco Dons and the SMU Mustangs, losing both of those games in straight sets. Senior and reigning two-time team MVP Lisa Hipp had 21 kills and 18 digs in the three games, and junior Abigail Konovodoff had 54 assists and was named to the All-Tournament team.
Despite losing all three games, coach Ullery thought the tournament was a great experience. “It showed us what level we want to be at,” she said. “They competed and fought, and made Georgia, USF and SMU earn their points. It helped us see the amount of work we have to put in to take our program to the next level.”
She also had high praise for Konovodoff. “Abby showed herself, her teammates and us coaches what she is able to do,” she said. “I’m excited to see her growth throughout the preseason and into conference play.”
Fordham then returned home to Rose Hill on Friday, Sept. 5, to kick off the 13th annual Rose Hill Classic. They began in the afternoon against the Fairleigh Dickinson Knights and lost 3-1. The Knights opened up in the first set with a convincing 25-13 win, then Fordham responded with a 25-18 set win of their own to even the score. Fairleigh Dickinson then won a tightly contested third set 25-23 and went on to win the fourth set 25-18. Freshman Sarah Skelton, sister of former Fordham and NFL quarterback John Skelton, led the team in kills with 10, while juniors Brianna O’Neil and Konovodoff led the way with 11 digs apiece.
The Rams then played their night cap against the Rider University Broncos, and lost a close one 3-2. Rider jumped out to a 10-3 lead that Fordham cut down to 12-7, but the Broncos would pull away in the first set winning 25-17. The second set was knotted at seven all, and the Rams eventually went ahead 13-9 and 16-11. But, Rider went on a 11-6 run to tie the set at 22 all, and scored four unanswered points to win 25-22 and go up two sets to none.
Much like the first two sets, the third set was very close in the beginning, with the Rams leading 7-6, then scoring four straight points to go 11-6. They never looked back from there. Rider got as close as two points down but would never come closer as Fordham went on to win the third set 25-21 and then went on to win another close set in the fourth 25-23 to tie it up at two sets apiece. But in the fifth set Rider got out to a 6-1 lead and would not look back, taking the set 15-12 and the match. Hipp led the way for Fordham with 19 kills in the match. Konovodoff had 47 assists and freshman Grace Muller led the team with 20 digs.
Skelton and Muller had some great games at the Rose Hill Gym, and coach Ullery said she was happy with the way the team’s new additions have performed thus far.
“I do believe all the freshmen are transitioning well,” Ullery said. “They are competitive and eager to make a difference and it shows when they are given an opportunity to play.”
The last game they played was on Saturday afternoon, Sept. 6, against the Northeastern University Paws, which they lost in straight sets. O’Neil led the way in kills and digs with 10 for the Rams and Konovodoff once again had the most assists with 26.
The Rams are back in action on the road at the Hofstra Invitional on Friday. Their first game is against Hofstra University at 7 p.m.
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Anthony Pucik is the Assistant Sports Editor for The Fordham Ram.
