Box Score (PDF)

DAYTON, Ohio - The Dayton Flyers volleyball team concluded the 2014 regular season with a 3-1 victory (17-25, 25-17, 25-22, 25-22) over the Duquesne Dukes on Sunday afternoon in Frericks Center. The Flyers improved to 26-5 (13-1 A-10), while Duquesne dropped to 16-11 (9-5 A-10).

Prior to the match, the University of Dayton recognized the two senior members of the volleyball team, Isolde Hannan and Rachel Jones. Hannan has spent the last four seasons with the Flyers as a middle blocker, playing in 120 matches – all but four matches played by Dayton during her tenure with the team, and has seen action in 414 sets. The Dublin, Ohio, native leads the team and ranks fourth in the league with 1.20 blocks/set. She has seven times earned Atlantic 10 Player, Defensive Player or Rookie of the Week and was named to the 2013 A-10 All-Academic Team and the 2011 A-10 All-Rookie Team.

Over the past four seasons, Jones has played in 86 matches and has seen action in 237 sets, playing primarily as a defensive specialist. This season she is averaging a career-best 2.72 digs/set and has posted career numbers in assists, aces and kills. Jones passed a career-high 20 digs at George Washington on Oct. 11, one of 16 matches this season with double-digit digs for the Upper St. Clair, Pennsylvania, native.

The first set was a battle for the Flyers as Duquesne came out ready to play. The Dukes jumped out to a quick 5-1 lead thanks in part to hitting errors by the Flyers. Dayton would jump back in the set off the serve of Rachel Jones and the hitting of Isolde Hannan to tie the set at 10-10. However, Duquesne continued to push the issue, eventually forcing a Dayton timeout at 17-13 and then again at 20-13. The first set ended with a kill by Madelyn Burnham for the Dukes, to give Duquesne the early edge in the match with a 25-17 win. Duquesne outhit Dayton in the first set .438 to .278.

The second set began a back and forth pattern that led to a 5-5 draw early. A kill by Jenna Jendryk ignited the Dayton side and led to a 5-1 Flyer scoring run. The Flyers continued to ratchet up the pressure, finally forcing a Duquesne timeout at 17-11. Three kills by Alaina Turner, along with kills by Jill Loiars and Hannan put the Flyers comfortably ahead. Dayton took the second set 25-17 to even the match at 1-1.

After the intermission, the third set shaped up to be much like the second, with both teams battling for position. Tied at 10-10, Dayton took advantage of an attack error by the Dukes, along with kills from Jendryk and Turner to force a Duquesne timeout. As Duquesne inched closer, Dayton continued to push back on the strength of seven kills by Turner in the third along with 11 digs by Janna Krafka. Dayton eventually took the third set 25-22.

As the fourth set opened, it was much of the same between the two teams. The set saw nine ties, but the lead changed only once. Duquesne held on through the early part of the set, but a kill by Turner gave the Flyers their first lead at 15-14. Dayton held on to the lead through a frenetic pace that saw long rallies and exceptional defense by both teams. A Jessica Sloan service ace forced the first timeout by Duquesne and gave Dayton its biggest lead of the set at 20-16. The Flyers would go on to close out the set and the match as Jane Emmenecker set a beautiful ball to the middle for senior Hannan to put down, giving the Flyers the set (25-22) and the match (3-1).

Turner closed out the match with the only double-double of the day with a game-high 25 kills and 10 digs. She hit .370 for the day.,,Loiars nailed 15 kills for a .343 hitting percentage, while Hannan notched 10 kills hitting at a .421 clip. Emmenecker served up 53 assists, and Janna Krafka corralled a match-high 25 digs to go along with a clutch service match. ,As a team the Flyers outhit the Dukes .303 to .215.,

The Flyers will enter the upcoming Atlantic 10 tournament as the number one seed, giving them a bye to the semifinal round. Dayton will host the 2014 Atlantic 10 Championship at the Frericks Center beginning on Friday, November 21. Admission will be $6 for adults per day or a $15 all session pass can also be purchased. Be sure to follow DaytonFlyers.com for the latest information regarding times and opponents for the Flyers.