Sept. 5, 2006

University of Dayton redshirt freshman Chauntay Mickens has been named the season's first Atlantic 10 Volleyball Rookie of the Week, after getting her career off to a very strong start. Mickens was named MVP of the Dayton Flyer Classic to open the year, and helped UD to an upset of #18 Arizona last weekend.

After two tournaments, Mickens is third on the team in kills (2.89) and blocks (0.89) per game for the 5-1 Flyers.

A Northwest High School graduate in Germantown, Maryland, Mickens led UD to three-straight, three-game match wins to open the year by winning to Dayton Flyer Classic August 25-26. Then last weekend, UD was the co-champion of the University of Louisville's Courtyard By Marriott Airport East Invitational. Dayton shared the title with then-12th-ranked Louisville and then-18th-ranked Arizona.

Mickens had a season-high 12 kills in a four-game loss to Louisville, but rebounding with 10 kills and two blocks in a sweep of previously-unbeaten Arizona.

UD is currently receiving 23 votes for the CSTV/AVCA Division I Top 25 Coaches Poll, which is the 31st-highest total, and the most in school history.

The next two Flyer foes are also ranked in the national poll. On Wednesday, #14 Purdue will visit the Frericks Center, and on Friday, Dayton will face #22 LSU in the first round of UD's Marriott Flyer Invitational, also at the Frericks Center. Both matches begin at 7:00 p.m. EDT.