Dayton Flyers

Aug. 26, 2009

Mortar Board Premier Game Notes

DAYTON, Ohio - The University of Dayton volleyball squad is set to open the 2009 season this Friday at 4:30 p.m. when they play Coastal Carolina in the opening match of the Mortar Board Premier hosted by Purdue.

The Flyers won the Mortar Board Premier the last time they competed in the tournament in 2007. UD beat then-No. 17 Purdue that year 3-0 and went on to down Utah and North Carolina by 3-2 scores. Dayton returns 10 players from 2008, including AVCA Honorable Mention All-American middle blocker Lindsay Fletemier.

UD meets Coastal Carolina in the first match of the 2009 campaign. The Chanticleers finished last season with a 27-9 record and a 13-3 Big South Conference record to tie for first. CCU finished just shy of the NCAA Tournament falling 3-1 (21-25, 23-25, 25-23, 20-25) to Liberty in the Big South championship match. The Chants return six starters including first-team all-conference member Chelsy Kimes and all-freshman team member Kelsie Mauck.

The Flyers will also face the Ball State Cardinals. The Cards are expected to be stronger as they return every starter to the lineup this year. BSU is expected to be led by second-year players Jennifer Boyd and Brittany McGinnis, both of which were Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team selections. McGinnis averaged 9.85 assists per set as a freshman, while Boyd, a middle blocker averaged .70 blocks per set last year, in addition to a .313 attack efficiency.

Dayton will face Purdue for the fifth straight season. The No. 19 Boilermakers hold a 3-1 record in the series over the Flyers. However, the two programs traded wins the last two seasons (Purdue in 2008, Dayton in 2007) and the stakes are high as the Flyers hope to climb back into national rankings.

Purdue returns junior setter Jaclyn Hart, junior middle blocker Kristen Arthurs and redshirt junior outside hitter Lisa Pierce. However, the Boilers will have to contend with the loss of All-American middle Stephanie Lynch in addition to the departures of Kellie Miller and Danita Merlau. Merlau led the Boilermakers last season in their five-set win over Dayton with 16 kills.

All of this weekend's matches will be live via Gametracker at www.DaytonFlyers.com. In addition, Saturday's match against the No. 19 Boilermakers will have live streaming video courtesy of Purdue Athletics.