Volleyball Returns Home to Face URI, Fordham

Friday, October 5

Washington, D.C.

7:00 p.m.

George Washington University

Rhode Island

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10/4/2018 3:28:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Wine Down Friday, Dig Pink Match Saturday Highlight Weekend

WASHINGTON - GW volleyball is back at the Smith Center this weekend for a pair of pivotal A-10 matches. The Colonials will host Rhode Island on Friday at 7 p.m. before entertaining Fordham on Saturday at 7 p.m. All three teams are 1-2 through the first two weekends of conference play.

ABOUT LAST WEEKEND: GW dropped its lone match last week in four sets at George Mason. The Colonials won the opening stanza, but then dropped the next three sets to fall to 1-2 in the league. Mason held a decided 19.5-3.0 edge in blocks and held the Buff and Blue to a season-low -.030 attack percentage.

ACROSS THE NET: Rhode Island and Fordham come to the District with very similar resumes. Both sit around .500 overall entering the weekend and are 1-2 against conference competition.

URI split last weekend, getting swept by La Salle on Friday before bouncing back to sweep Duquesne on Saturday. The last 11 matches between GW and URI have gone at least four sets with six five-set affairs dating back to 2010. The Rams have won three straight in the series, although this is their first trip to D.C. since 2015. Redshirt sophomore Natale Zanellato paces the offense with 3.02 kills/set and also provides 1.84 digs/set.

Fordham dropped both matches last weekend, in five sets to Duquesne and four sets to La Salle. The Rams are 0-3 away from the Bronx, but have earned at least one set win in all but two matches this year. Despite owning a 32-10 edge in the all-time series, GW has dropped three straight since a win at home in 2015. The matchup features two of the better defensive squads in the A-10 with GW (.178) and Fordham (.183) ranking as the top two teams in opposing hitting percentage.

FIVE-SET PHENOMS: Four of GW's seven victories this season have been five-set wins, including a triumph over Morgan State on Sept. 14 in which the Colonials staved off three match points in the third set and came back to win. Dating back to last year, the Colonials have triumphed in eight straight five-set matches and are now 9-2 in those situations under second-year head coach Sarah Bernson.

HOME SWEET HOME: The Colonials are back at the friendly confines of the Smith Center to open a three-game homestand. GW has gone 4-2 at home thus far this year, recording three sweeps. GW has been a better attacking team at home, hitting .171 compared to .125 in road and neutral site games.

AMONG LEAGUE LEADERS: Here's where the Colonials stand among A-10 foes entering the weekend:

Bella Bowman: 5th total digs (240), 6th digs/set (4.36)
Callie Fauntleroy: 8th blocks/set (1.00)
Skylar Iott: 3rd points/set (4.2), 4th kills/set (4.71), 5th total kills (204), 5th total points (231.0), t-7th total service aces (16), 7th service aces/set (0.29)
Jaimeson Lee: 2nd assists/set (9.25), 3rd total assists (509), t-10th total digs (182), 10th digs/set (3.31)
Alexis Lete: t-10th block solos (5)
Jordan Young: 3rd services aces/set (0.40), 3rd total service aces (20)
Team: 3rd services aces/set (1.36), 4th digs/set (16.13), 5th kills/set (11.69), 5th aces/set (10.93), 5th blocks/set (2.02)

COMING UP: GW welcomes West Virginia to the Smith Center on Tuesday for a mid-week, non-conference showdown. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m. The Colonials then hit the road for four straight, traveling to Davidson and VCU next weekend.