 |
Paige Vargas had a match-high 16 digs on Saturday evening. |
Box Score
NOTRE DAME, Ind. – No. 20 Dayton volleyball continued its dominant defensive play on Saturday evening to sweep Delaware in straight sets in the 2010 Notre Dame Invitational (25-14, 25-14, 25-11).
For the third match in a row the Flyers recorded 10 or more team blocks -- out-blocking the Blue Hens 13.0-to-2.0 -- and held its first-time opponent to a -.009 hitting percentage. Dayton’s 13 blocks also sets a three set season-high. Seniors Lindsay Fletemier and Becky Novacek led the way for the Flyers with six block-assists each.
Sophomore Paige Vargas recorded a match-high 16 digs and guided the Flyers in holding Delaware to no service aces for the first time this season. Coming into Saturday’s match the Blue Hens averaged 1.71 aces per set.
“I thought Paige Vargas probably had her finest match in a Flyer jersey -- she was great,” Head Coach Kelly Sheffield said. “Her passing was money against a team that, going in, was probably the best serving team we have seen this year. We were in system all night long and that’s in large part credit to her.”
Holding the Blue Hens to a -.009 hitting percentage, it is the second time this season that the Flyers have defended an opponent to a sub-.000 hitting percentage. Dayton opened the season holding Pittsburgh to a -.080 attack rate in three sets on Aug. 27.
Fletemier added 13 kills with no attacking errors to notch a .619 hitting percentage. The 6-foot-6 2009 AVCA Third Team All-American entered the weekend ranked second in the nation with 1.78 blocks per set and after two matches and 17 blocks in the Notre Dame Invitational, Fletemier is now averaging 1.85 blocks per set.
Novacek contributed seven kills on 15 swings for a .400 attacking percentage for a total of 10 points.
“We were really concerned about being disciplined enough to defend on the block because Delaware gives so many looks – more than any other team we have seen this season,” Sheffield said. “But tonight I thought we were really calm, communicating at the net during the point of play, and making very dynamic moves. Our blocking was solid tonight.”
Senior Jessica Yanz has recorded a double-double in six of the last eight matches, giving 31 assists and 11 digs on Saturday. The Flyers tied a season-high of seven aces behind senior Amanda Cowdrey’s three aces and senior Rachel Broerman’s two aces. Both tied career highs.
Dayton took pairs of 5-0 leads to start both the first and second set and never gave up the lead throughout the match. The only tie on Saturday evening was a 1-1 score to begin the third set, which Dayton won 25-11.
After defeating host Notre Dame on Friday night, Delaware (8-4) was held to its lowest hitting percentage since an Oct. 16, 2004 meeting with Towson (-.068). The Blue Hens were led by Chelsea Lawrence’s six kills and Kim Stewart’s 11 digs.
Dayton (8-3) – the only team without a loss in the Notre Dame Invitational – will try for the outright Invitational title in a 2 p.m. ET match with Notre Dame on Sunday.
