The energy in the Rose Hill Gym on Saturday, Oct. 26 was electrifying, as the Fordham women’s volleyball team came back from a second-set deficit to sweep Rhode Island. This marks the squad’s first win at home and its first Atlantic 10 victory of the year.
After winning the first set 25–23, the hosts fell 4–14 to open the second set. However, the Rams stayed confident and relied on their preparation and skill. Senior middle blocker Elise Benjamin ignited the fire with a kill, and sophomore Joey Landeros responded to a Rhode Island kill with one of her own, bringing the score to 15–6.
The Rams then went on a 19–5 run, capitalizing on Rhode Island errors and displaying great offensive prowess. Seniors Kaitlin Morley and Benjamin, along with redshirt junior Olivia Fairchild, each had three kills in the second set, leading the team to a 25–21 win in the second and third sets.
“Our team has always had a lot of fight, especially when it comes to coming back from being down,” Senior libero Morgan Williams said. “So it was awesome that we managed to take that momentum all the way to the end of the game for the win. Everyone stepped up offensively and defensively.”
The Rams showed great grit in their explosive second set, but Saturday also marked many individual accomplishments: Fairchild passed her 1,000 kill mark and Williams moved into second for a single season dig record with 468, now only 14 shy from passing the record of former Ram Stephanie Frost.
The Rams will continue their A-10 campaign at home, hosting Duquesne on Friday, Nov. 1, at 7 p.m and La Salle on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 1 p.m.
