MASON (4-11, 0-2 A-10) vs Rhode Island (7-7, 2-0 A-10)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Friday, Sept. 30
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Rhode Island leads 6-0
LIVE STATS: GoMason.com
LIVE VIDEO: A-10 Network ($)
MASON (4-11, 0-2 A-10) vs Fordham (8-9, 1-1 A-10)
WHEN: 7 p.m., Saturday, Oct. 1
WHERE: RAC Gym, Fairfax, Va.
ALL-TIME SERIES: Mason leads 3-2
LIVE STATS: GoMason.com
LIVE VIDEO: A-10 Network ($)
FAIRFAX, Va. – George Mason University's women's volleyball team will bring Atlantic 10 Conference play back home this weekend, welcoming Rhode Island and Fordham in the RAC Gym on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Both of Mason's opponents won at least one of their opening-weekend A-10 matches, but the Patriots will go into the weekend with some momentum as well. Despite a phenomenal performance by Saint Louis' senior Danielle Rygelski canceled out a good effort by Mason and led the Billikens to a straight-set victory on Friday, head coach Jackie Simpson-Kirr's team bounced back and made some history on Sunday by taking a set from back-to-back Atlantic 10 champion Dayton in Ohio.
ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE NET
Rhode Island had the dream start to conference play and registered back-to-back victories against Duquesne and La Salle without losing a single set. The best way to describe the Rams' 2016 season so far would be streaky, given that the team has experienced four sequences of three or more contests of matching results. Rhode Island's current three-match win streak, which puts them in second place in the A-10 standings, also includes a prestigious 3-2 win against a tough Howard team which overcame Mason twice this season.
Fordham's win against La Salle last Friday snapped a three-match losing streak for the Rams which, despite the loss to Duquesne two days later, left the team in a playoff position in the table after the opening weekend of A-10 play. Although Fordham won only eight combined conference matches in the previous three A-10 seasons, the Rams were above .500 for the most part of their non-conference schedule. Fordham is 0-4 in true road matches this season and returns to Fairfax after being swept by the Patriots in late October last year.
