Promotions: Silly Band giveaway; Player autographs after match; University of Dayton Family Weekend.
Fordham at No. 20 Dayton – Saturday, Oct. 2 – Dayton, Ohio – Frericks Center – 7 p.m. ET
Promotions: Free Kids Volleyball Clinic, noon in the Frericks Center; Chalk Talk with Head Coach Kelly Sheffield, 5:15 p.m. in Frericks #201-B; Alumni Night; Player autographs after match; University of Dayton Family Weekend.
Noting the Flyers (11-3, 2-0)
No. 20 Dayton is on a season-long six-match winning streak after kicking off the Atlantic 10 schedule with a five set win at Saint Louis and a 3-0 victory at Duquesne last weekend ... Seniors Lindsay Fletemier and Amanda Cowdrey were named A-10 Offensive and Defensive Players of the Week, respectively ... Fletemier ranks second in the nation in blocks per set (1.78) ... Cowdrey tied a career-high and set an individual team season-high of 27 digs at SLU ... Head Coach Kelly Sheffield and wife Cathy gave birth to their first child, Alexa Grace, early Tuesday morning ... Coach Sheffield will be honored with the game ball from his 200th career win before the Rhode Island match on Friday ... Sheffield reached 200 wins on Sept. 17 against Santa Clara at the Notre Dame Invitational ... The Flyers have been ranked in the AVCA Top-25 for nine consecutive weeks.
About Rhode Island (11-3, 2-0)
The Rams are on an eight-match winning streak after starting conference play 2-0 for the first time since 1999 with wins over Temple and La Salle in straight sets ... Freshman Britta Baarstad earned her second A-10 Rookie of the Week nod last week and leads the Rams in kills per set (2.65) ... Senior middle Lauren McIntosh holds a team-best .348 hitting percentage to help guide Rhode Island to an A-10-leading .240 hitting percentage ... Senior libero Kalyn Klaess ranks third in the conference in aces per set (0.37) ... Bob Schneck is in his 31st season as Head Coach of the Rams and holds a 511-407-2 career record.
The Series: Dayton leads, 22-10.
About Fordham (10-8, 2-0)
The Fordham Rams are winners of four of the last five matches, including a 2-0 start to conference play ... Fordham started the season 4-0 for the first time in program history after winning the Beanpot Classic in Worcester and Chestnut Hill, Mass. ... The Rams are 0-4 on the road ... Senior outside hitter Kailee May ranks fifth in the A-10 in kills per set (3.16) and after two A-10 matches, she paces the league during conference play with 4.00 kills per set ... Senior middle Christi Griffiths ranks fifth in the A-10 in hitting percentage (.328) ... The Rams’ last win of the season in 2009 marked Head Coach Peter Volkert’s 100th win at Fordham ... Volkert is in his seventh season with Ram volleyball after spending the previous seven season at Manhattan College.
The Series: Dayton leads, 23-1.
Welcome Back To Frericks
Dayton will play at home in the Frericks Center for the first time in over a month this weekend ... The Flyers’ 17-match winning streak at Frericks was not put to the test during the month of September as UD spent five straight weekends on the road ... Last season UD finished the home schedule with an undefeated 14-0 mark ... The Flyers kicked off the season with three wins in the Dayton Flyer Classic over Pittsburgh, Arizona State and Virginia Commonwealth.
Cowdrey, Fletemier Named Atlantic 10 Players of the Week
Senior Lindsay Fletemier was named A-10 Offensive Player of the Week for the second consecutive week, joining teammate and first-time A-10 Defensive Player of the Week Amanda Cowdrey ... Fletemier had 2.75 kills per set on a .457 hitting percentage on the weekend; six blocks, 12 kills, no attacking error, and a .545 hitting percentage in a five-set win at Saint Louis; 10 kills, .375 hitting percentage, six blocks, 16 points in a three-set win at Duquesne ... It is the third Atlantic 10 weekly honor this season for Fletemier, who also earned Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7.
Cowdrey earns her first Atlantic 10 weekly award after leading Dayton in digs over the weekend, averaging 6.00 per set and totaling 48 ... Cowdrey tied her career-high of 27 digs in a five-set win over Saint Louis on Sept. 24 ... The Brampton, Ontario native also added 12 kills and three blocks against the Billikens, helping the Flyers defeat SLU for the first time on the road since 2007 ... Cowdrey went on to record a three-set team season-high of 21 digs in a 3-0 sweep of Duquesne to mark the Flyers’ sixth straight win ... Behind Cowdrey’s defensive efforts, Dayton limited Saint Louis and Duquesne to mere .166 and .055 hitting percentages, respectively.
Fletemier: Blocking Queen
Senior middle blocker Lindsay Fletemier ranks second in NCAA Division I in blocks per set (1.78) ... Last week Fletemier led the nation with 1.84 per set ... She has a comfortable conference lead with 91.0 total blocks – the closest A-10 player owns 52.0 total blocks (1.11 per set) ... Last season Fletemier finished the season ranked 35th in blocks per set (1.25) and 11th in hitting percentage (.389), gaining Third Team AVCA All-America honors ... The Flyer defense stands out as a team, ranking 7th in blocks per set (2.97) and 16th in digs per set (17.41).
Sheffield To Be Honored For 200th Career Match
This weekend, Head Coach Kelly Sheffield will be honored for winning his 200th career match, which happen on the road at the Notre Dame Invitational against Santa Clara on Sept. 17 ... Sheffield began the season with 193 wins and now holds a 204-99 in his 10th season as a head coach ... In his third year at UD, Sheffield became the quickest head coach in program history to reach 50 wins in the modern scheduling format, going 51-17 in his first two seasons ... Sheffield spent seven years at Albany, compiling 142 wins and three NCAA Tournament appearances ... Sheffield and wife Cathy recently gave birth to their first child, Alexa Grace, on Tuesday morning – Sept. 28, 2010.
Flyers Ranked For Ninth Consecutive Week
Dayton was placed at No. 20 for the fourth time in five weeks in the most recent AVCA Top-25 Poll ... It is the ninth consecutive week the Flyer volleyball has been ranked in the AVCA Top-25, dating back to a No. 25 finish in the 2009 poll ... The Flyers are on a six-match winning streak and return home to the Frericks Center for the first time in over a month ... The AVCA Top-25 are released each Monday during the season.
Conference Season Success
In the past seven years, Dayton holds a 69-11 Atlantic 10 record without losing more than two conference matches in a season ... In that stretch UD has won five regular season crowns, five tournament titles, and made six trips to the NCAA Tournament ... The Flyers only remaining non-conference opponent is Ohio in the final regular season match of the season on Nov. 26 – after the A-10 Tournament ... The Flyers hold a 22-6 mark in non-conference matches since last season.
Fletemier Named Atlantic 10 Offensive Player of the Week
Senior Lindsay Fletemier was given her second A-10 weekly honor this season after being named Offensive Player of the Week (9/21) ... The senior middle blocker was named Most Valuable Player at the Notre Dame Invitational with 37 kills and 22 blocks in the Flyers’ three wins over Santa Clara, Delaware and Notre Dame ... Through 68 total swings Fletemier only recorded five attacking errors for a .471 hitting percentage ... In a five-set bout with Santa Clara Fletemier recorded her first double-double of the season with 17 kills and 11 blocks ... 13 kills, no attacking errors and six blocks to sweep Delaware ... Helped ensure the Invitational title with seven kills and five blocks to sweep host Notre Dame ... It is the second Atlantic 10 weekly honor this season for Fletemier, who earned Defensive Player of the Week honors on Sept. 7 ... Fletemier was the A-10 Player of the Year and six-time Offensive or Defensive Player of the Week in 2009.
Recapping the Notre Dame Invitational
Dayton defeated Santa Clara, Delaware and Notre Dame to capture the Notre Dame Invitational title ... Senior Lindsay Fletemier recorded 37 kills and 22 blocks through 11 sets to earn MVP honors ... Senior middle blocker Becky Novacek and sophomore libero Paige Vargas were also named on the All-Tournament team ... In UD’s five-set win over Santa Clara, Head Coach Kelly Sheffield notched his 200th career win ... Defense was prevalent in all three matches as UD help opponents to a combined .143 hitting percentage, including Delaware’s -.009 attack rate ... Fletemier recorded her first double-double of the season against Santa Clara with 17 kills and 11 blocks.
Top 25 Tour
Dayton has faced four top 25 opponents and three top 10 in its non-conference slate ... The Ameritas Players Challenge featured three teams ranked in the AVCA Top-25: No. 3 Illinois, No. 7 Nebraska and No. 20 Dayton ... The Diet Coke Classic in Minneapolis, Minn., also featured three ranked teams: No. 8 Minnesota, No. 20 Dayton, and No. 22 Northern Iowa ... The Flyers hold a 1-3 record against ranked opponents this season.
Recapping the Ameritas Players Challenge
The Flyers faced two top-10 opponents in two days and went 1-2 in the Ameritas Players Challenge, hosted by Nebraska ... Senior setter Jessica Yanz, a graduate and transfer from Nebraska, was named to the All-Tournament team after registering the only Flyer double-double of the weekend against the Huskers ... UD stole the first home set of the season from No. 7 Nebraska after coming back from a 12-20 deficit to win 26-24, with the Huskers winning the next three sets ... No. 3 Illinois was the third straight top-10 team that defeated the Flyers ... Dayton snapped a rare three-match losing streak against Western Michigan in three sets.
Fletemier A-10 Defensive Player of the Week
Senior Lindsay Fletemier earned her third career Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week honor after recording 20 blocks at the Diet Coke Classic in Minnesota ... The 6-foot-6 middle blocker leads the Atlantic 10 in blocks this season with 38 (1.78 per set) and has a streak of a least one block in 54 consecutive matches ... Fletemier registered nine blocks to hold No. 22 Northern Iowa to a .166 hitting percentage in a five-set victory ... In two matches on Saturday, she helped hold Baylor to a .096 hitting percentage in the Flyers’ four-set win with six blocks and nine kills ... Tallied 11 kills and five blocks against No. 8 Minnesota.
Recapping the Diet Coke Classic
Dayton went 2-1 at the Diet Coke Classic (9/3-4) hosted by Minnesota ... Sophomore Rachel Krabacher and senior Lindsay Fletemier were named to the all-tournament team ... Krabacher paced the Flyers in kills (38) and registered two double-doubles, while Fletemier posted 28 kills and 20 blocks through three matches... The Flyers started the weekend with a five-set win over No. 22 Northern Iowa, defeated Baylor in four sets, and lost to No. 8 Minnesota in three ... Dayton, UNI, and Minnesota all finished 2-1 with Baylor at 0-3 ... All teams in the field received votes in the AVCA Top-25.
Recapping the Dayton Flyer Classic
Dayton swept the field at the Dayton Flyer Classic, defeating Arizona State, Pittsburgh, and Virginia Commonwealth ... UD recorded a .302 hitting percentage and held opponents to a .067 rate. Similar trends were common throughout the weekend in blocks (32.5-to-11.0), service aces (15-to-7), kills (127-to-86) ... Reigning All-America middle Lindsay Fletemier totaled 18 blocks through three matches ... Senior setter Jessica Yanz – a transfer from Nebraska – notched a career-high of 42 assists against Arizona State on Saturday.
Novacek a Finalist for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award
Senior Becky Novacek was selected as one of thirty NCAA women’s volleyball student-athletes to be a candidate for the first-ever Lowe’s Senior CLASS (Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School)Award for volleyball ... To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence – community, classroom, character and competition ... Novacek is a 2009 First Team Atlantic 10 All-Conference selection ... The accounting major has earned Dayton’s Presidential Scholarship and has been listed on the Atlantic 10 Commissioner’s Honor Roll while helping UD to five A-10 regular season and tournament titles, three-straight NCAA Tournament appearances, and two 30-win seasons.
Charlotte Match will be Held at UD Arena
On Saturday Oct. 23 the Flyers will move to the University of Dayton Arena to play Charlotte at 4:30 ... The move is a precursor to the NCAA Volleyball Regional which will be held at UD Arena from Dec. 10-11 – the NCAA requires the host school to play at least one home match at the Regional site during the regular season ... The Xavier match on Oct. 29, originally scheduled to be played at UD Arena, has been moved back to the Frericks Center.
In Memoriam: Kacie Hausfeld
A number 14 patch is adorned on the Flyers’ jerseys this season in memoriam of late teammate Kacie Hausfeld who tragically passed away last spring in a plane crash with her father, Tom ... Hausfeld, known her leadership and influential personality, would have been a senior ... For three seasons she excelled in the program as a setter, starting in the last two with 7.00 assists per set and 51 aces ... Kacie is survived by her mother Lori and sister Ali.
Academic/APR Success
Dayton volleyball was recognized for the third straight season with the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Team Academic Award ... Finishing the season No. 25 in the AVCA poll, UD is one of just three nationally-ranked teams to earn the award this season (Oregon, Stanford) ... The Flyers reported a 3.37 team GPA in the 2009-10 school year ... UD volleyball also scored a perfect single-year APR score (1000) in 2008-09, which was released in the Spring by the NCAA.
Returning Champs – Predicted Champs
With five starters returning from last season’s Atlantic 10 Championship team UD has been picked to win the A-10 title again in 2010 ... The Flyers were the regular season co-champs with Saint Louis, and the tournament champs after edging SLU in five sets at the Frericks Center ... The Flyers return two all-conference selections Lindsay Fletemier and Becky Novacek, A-10 Tournament MVP Amanda Cowdrey, and All-Rookie Team selection Rachel Krabacher ... Additionally, the Flyers add highly-touted recruit and Nebraska transfer Jessica Yanz to the setter position.
Dayton Selected as NCAA Regional Site in 2010
Dayton will be one of four hosts during the 2010 NCAA Tournament Regionals on Dec. 10-11 at the University of Dayton Arena ... Tickets are now available for purchase by visiting the UD Arena Ticket Office or by phone at 937-229-4433 ... Other Regional sites include Austin (Texas), Seattle (Washington), and University Park (Penn State) ... The National Semifinals and Final will be held at Kansas City’s Sprint Center.
