MASON (6-18, 2-9 A-10) at Fordham (10-16, 3-8 A-10)
WHEN: 12 p.m., Friday, Nov. 4
WHERE: Rose Hill Gym, Bronx, N.Y.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Series tied 3-3
LIVE STATS: FordhamSports.com
LIVE VIDEO: A-10 Network
MASON (6-18, 2-9 A-10) at Rhode Island (14-9, 9-2 A-10)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 5
WHERE: Keaney Gymnasium, Kingston, R.I.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Rhode Island leads 7-0
LIVE STATS: GoRhody.com
LIVE VIDEO: A-10 Network
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University's women's volleyball team will take its season-best two-match win streak on a tough road trip this weekend as it travels north to face Fordham on Friday and Rhode Island on Saturday.
Mason's success last weekend did not come easily because the Patriots had to play two five-set matches against Duquesne and La Salle. Head coach Jackie Simpson-Kirr's team played great under pressure and hit above .350 in the fifth sets of both matches to earn itself two precious Atlantic 10 Conference victories in its final home weekend of the season. Senior opposite hitter Tiffany Clarke combined for 33 kills and 10 blocks in her, outside hitter Jessie Greenslade's and setter Caitlyn Hipsher's farewell. Freshman Bailey Williams also got in the spotlight on Senior Night against the Explorers with 13 kills and 27 digs for her third career double-double.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NET
Contrary to Mason, Fordham has been in a little bit of a slump lately and has registered seven consecutive defeats since the win over the Patriots in Fairfax on Oct. 1. Five of those defeats have been sweeps, including the last three – at Rhody, VCU, and Davidson, respectively. The loss to the Wildcats dealt a big blow to Fordham's conference tournament ambitions as the Rams' 3-8 A-10 record is two wins below the sixth place, which is the final ticket to the championship. A Mason win on Friday will categorically leave Fordham out of postseason play for the sixth consecutive season.
Rhode Island is on the other side of the spectrum, sitting in second place with a 9-2 record having played a match more than first-place Dayton (10-0) and third-place Saint Louis (7-3). The Rams have won three consecutive matches – each win more difficult than the previous – and six out of eight since their trip to Fairfax in the last day of September. Audrey Castro was Rhody's hero once again last weekend, combining for 41 kills, 27 digs and six blocks in the four-set victory at Davidson on Friday and the five-set win at VCU on Sunday. A win against George Washington or Mason this weekend will guarantee last year's semifinalist one of the two top seeds going into the 2016 Atlantic 10 Championship while the Patriots will be looking for their first win against the Rams on Saturday.
