DAYTON, Ohio - In its 2013 Atlantic 10 opener, the University of Dayton volleyball team dropped a very close 3-2 (25-21, 26-28, 25-14, 23-25, 13-15) to the visiting Virginia Commonwealth Rams Friday night at UD's Frericks Center. With the loss, the Flyers move to 6-7 overall and 0-1 in league play while the Rams improve to 11-4 on the season and 1-0 in A-10 action.

The Flyers were led by senior Shayne Brown with 11 kills and a .320 hitting percentage. Sophomore Alaina Turner tallied the double-double with 10 kills and 14 digs while senior Megan Campbell recorded nine kills and a career-high-tying 10 blocks. Sophomore Jenna Jendryk set 41 assists to go with eight digs and seven blocks on the evening.

After scoring the first two points of the match, the Flyers gave up three straight to the visiting Rams and set one was knotted at three apiece. There were a total of seven ties before either team was able to get ahead by more than one as UD took a two-point, 11-9 advantage on the strength of a kill from senior Brown. The advantage was four, 14-10, after a Ram attack error and VCU called for a timeout.

Campbell capped off the UD 5-0 run with a kill to stretch the lead to 16-10. The Flyer advantage was cut to two, 19-17, after a UD attacking error but Dayton continued to battle, reaching set-point at 24-20. The Rams were able to save set-point once but served up an error to give the Flyers the 25-21 first-set win.

VCU earned the early advantage in the second set, going up 5-3 on UD after a Ram service ace. After several ties and lead changes, the Flyers claimed the lead at 9-8 on a Jendryk service ace. The score was tied at 17-all when the Rams put together three-straight points before the Flyers earned sideout on a VCU attack error. UD answered with a 3-0 run if its own to square the game again at 20-20.

A double block from Brown and Campbell tied the set again, this time at 22 apiece, but VCU profited from a UD attack error to earn serve. Campbell's kill combined with a Campbell-Jendryk block set up game-point for the Flyers at 24-23 but the Rams evened the set again at 24-24. It was the Rams' turn to hold set-point at 25-24, and despite the Flyers saving set-point twice, VCU held on for the 28-26 win in the second set to even the match, 1-1.

UD jumped out on VCU in the third set as junior Isolde Hannan capped the 7-2 run with a kill. She was the third Flyer in double-digit kills with 10 on the night. The Flyers took advantage of three Ram attack errors amidst a 6-0 run that extended the UD lead to 13-4. The Rams cut the score to 14-8 but Hannan protected the net with a solo block which was the catalyst for a 3-0 Flyer run.

Campbell and Jendryk combined for another block as the Flyer lead increased to nine, 19-10, and UD would cruise the rest of the way. The Flyers held set-point at 24-13 and again at 14 as Hannan's kill claimed the third-set win for UD, 25-14. Heading into the fourth frame, Dayton held the 2-1 match advantage.

The Flyers trailed the Rams, 6-5, in the fourth set but VCU took off for a 10-1 run to lead UD, 16-6. Dayton put together four-straight points to cut into the Virginia Commonwealth lead, 16-10, and the advantage was six again at 18-12 in favor of the Rams. The dynamic duo of Campbell and Jendryk pulled the Flyers within five, 20-15, with another assisted block and the lead was cut to two, 23-21, when the Rams called for timeout. VCU weathered the UD comeback bid, taking the 25-23 set-four win and evening the match at 2-2.

The deciding set was a battle from start to finish and neither team was able to get more than a one-point lead through a 10-10 tie. VCU took the 12-10 lead after a kill from Kalah Jones and UD called for a timeout. Down by two again at 13-11, the Flyers used their last timeout of the match but the Rams reached match-point at 14-11 after the break. Campbell recorded a kill on the next play and match-point was saved again on a VCU attack error but the Rams held on for the 15-13 set win, claiming the match 3-2.

The Rams were led by Romana Kriskova with 19 kills and 19 digs and Cecilia Aragao with 49 assists and 20 digs.

Dayton will return to action Sunday as it plays host to the visiting Saint Louis Billikens. The A-10 Conference match is scheduled for 4 p.m. at Frericks Center.