DAYTON, Ohio – For the third consecutive season University of Dayton volleyball captured the Atlantic 10 Volleyball Championship title after defeating Xavier on Sunday afternoon in Frericks Center (25-22, 25-16, 23-25, 25-21). The Flyers have won both the A-10 tournament and regular season titles in each of the past three seasons.
Dayton’s seventh A-10 tournament title ensured the program’s fifth consecutive bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Senior outside hitter Yvonne Marten earned the Championship’s Most Outstanding Player, while sophomore middle blocker Megan Campbell, junior outside hitter Rachel Krabacher and junior setter Samantha Selsky were named to the All-Championship team.
Marten finished the match with 15 kills, 10 digs and four blocks – her seventh double-double of the season. The Fortville, Ind., native was the tournament’s leader in points per set with a total of 27 kills, two aces and seven blocks.
Selsky set a four-set season high of 48 assists with nine digs. The A-10 Setter of the Year guided UD to a .320 team hitting percentage throughout the tournament. Campbell registered a match-high 16 kills on a .500 hitting percentage with eight block assists. Krabacher led the tournament in kills per set (4.14), going for 14 kills with seven digs on Sunday.
Behind eight kills from Marten, the Flyers set the tone for the match with a 25-22 first set win. Dayton took an early 8-1 lead, which forced a Xavier timeout. The Musketeers were able to battle back to within two points at 20-18 thanks to a 5-0 run. The Flyers would go on to win the opening set, 25-22.
Xavier contested Dayton at the beginning stages of the second set, but a 10-0 Flyer run all but put to bed Xavier’s hopes of going into intermission with an even match. In the second set alone, Dayton held Xavier to a .061 hitting percentage while serving up an 81-percent side-out rate. Marten served the majority of the 10-point run – which included two aces.
Dayton came back from a sizable deficit in the third set, only to be edged 23-25 – just the sixth set which Dayton has lost against a conference opponent this season. Down 15-19, the Flyers went on a 5-2 run to come within one but Xavier forced a side-out on Dayton’s last four serving opportunities to win. Both UD and XU hit in the .300s during the third set only – Xavier with a .325 hitting percentage and Dayton with a .308 clip.
Down 10-12 in the fourth set, Dayton pulled off an 8-1 run to take control of the final set and its championship fate – winning 25-21. Both teams dropped off in offensive production in the fourth set, each with sub-.100 hitting percentages. Dayton won the battle of errors by taking advantage of 15 points off Xavier mis-plays. Sophomore Shayne Brown registered the final kill which gave the Flyers a 25-21 set and match victory.
Dayton has won 10 of the last 12 matches against Xavier, improving its series lead to 47-25. In A-10 tournament play, the Flyers are 5-0 against the Musketeers.
Before making their fourth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Championship, the Flyers will host Notre Dame at Frericks Center in the final regular season match of the 2011 season. Selection Sunday is on Sunday, Nov. 27 at 6 p.m. ET on ESPNU.
All-Championship Team Ame White - Xavier
Aubree Smith - Xavier
Sarah Brown - Xavier
Megan Campbell - Dayton
Rachel Krabacher - Dayton
* Yvonne Marten - Dayton
Samantha Selsky - Dayton
* Most Outstanding Player: Yvonne Marten
