DAYTON, Ohio - University of Dayton volleyball will kick off the 2015 season at Iowa State's Cyclone Invitational Aug. 28-29. Dayton will open the tournament against North Dakota on Friday at noon before taking on the host ISU Cyclones in the nightcap at 7:30 p.m. On Saturday, the Flyers will square off against the Marquette Golden Eagles at noon to close out the weekend. All three matches will be played at ISU's Hilton Coliseum.
About the FieldThe Cyclone Invitational is the season-opening tournament for all four teams participating this weekend. North Dakota, currently without an official mascot, was 26-9 overall and 13-3 in Big Sky play for 2015. UND finished first in the BSC North division but lost to Northern Colorado in the BSC Tournament semifinals. Iowa State posted a 19-10 overall mark and went 10-6 in Big 12 play. The Cyclones defeated Western Kentucky in the First Round of the 2014 NCAA Tournament but was tripped up by Illinois in the Second Round. Marquette was 24-9 in 2014 with a 14-4 record in Big East action. The Golden Eagles lost to Seton Hall their first match of the Big East Tournament but made an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, falling in the First Round to Illinois State.
Series Stuff• Friday's season opener against North Dakota will be just the second meeting between the two programs. UD hosted UND on Aug. 26, 2011 and the Flyers took the match, 3-1.
• Iowa State and Dayton will be facing off for the fifth time and the Cyclones hold the 3-1 advantage in the series. UD won the first meeting, 3-0, in 1978 and ISU has won the last three times - including a 3-0 win at the Nebraska Ameritas Player's Challenge in 2013.
• Dayton's weekend finalé against Marquette will be the 28th time the Flyers and Golden Eagles have squared off. The two spent several years together in the Midwestern Collegiate Conference and last met in Dayton on Sept. 3, 1999. With the 3-0 win in that match, UD holds a 21-7 advantage over MU.
Flyer Facts•
Tim Horsmon is entering his seventh season overall, and second since 2007, as head coach of the Flyers in 2015. His record at Dayton is 158-49 and his career win-loss mark sits at 334-213 in 16 completed seasons as a head coach. UD is 5-1 in season openers with Horsmon at the helm - including a 3-1 win at Bowling Green to kick off last season.
• Dayton returns the 2014 Atlantic 10 Player of the Year in senior
Alaina Turner, the A-10 Setter of the Year in sophomore
Jane Emmenecker and the A-10 Libero of the Year in senior
Janna Krafka. Turner, a 2014 AVCA Honorable Mention All-American, finished last season ranked fourth in the nation with 65 services aces and sixth nationally with 0.50 aces/set. She also ranked third in total attacks (1,568), 14th in total kills (558) and 16th in points/set (5.09) and attacks/set (11.97). Emmenecker's 1,461 assists is the fifth-most in a season at UD and ranked fifth nationally in 2014.
• At the end of last season, out of 15 statistical categories ranked by the NCAA, Dayton was among the top 50 nationally in 12 of them. The Flyers finished 2014 ranked seventh in the nation with 199 service aces.
• The Flyers finished the 2014 season with a 30-6 overall record and with a 13-1 Atlantic 10, finishing in first place in regular-season league play. 2014 was the program's third 30-win season of the modern-DI era.
• The Flyers have won 23 of their last 25 contests. Dayton's 14-match winning streak was snapped by Penn State in the Flyers' final match of 2014.
• Dayton has won the Atlantic 10 Regular Season title 11 times (2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2001, 1998). The Flyers have won the A-10 Championship title a league-record nine times (2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003) and made their 10th NCAA appearance in program history in 2014.
• Over the last six seasons (2009-2014), the Flyers have recorded a 78-9 mark in Atlantic 10 Conference play, including a perfect 14-0 mark in 2012 and a 15-0 record in 2010. UD suffered only one conference loss in 2014, 2011 and 2009.
UD Picked First in 2015 A-10 Preseason PollDayton has been chosen to finish in first place in the Atlantic 10 for 2015. The Flyers, winners of five of the last six A-10 titles, tallied 88 points in voting among the league's head coaches (including eight of 10 first-place votes). George Washington was selected to finish second.
13th to 1,000With two wins at the 2014 Bowling Green Hampton Inn Invitational, Dayton surpassed the 1,000-win mark as a program and is just the 13th NCAA DI team to attain that level of success. The Flyers currently rank 13th all-time in the Division I record book with an overall program tally of 1,028-557 (.649) over 44 seasons (1970).
Follow the Flyers on Social MediaFans can follow the official UD Volleyball social media outlets by liking Facebook.com/udaytonvb, on Twitter by following this handle: @DaytonVB and udaytonvb on Instagram. Hashtags for Flyer Volleyball include UDVB and GoFlyers.
Just Flyers PleaseWhen referring to the University of Dayton women's basketball team (or any other Dayton athletic team), we ask that you refer to us simply as "Flyers." Not "Lady Flyers". Thanks for your cooperation.
Atlantic 10 Coach, Player, Libero and Setter of the Year ...The Flyers claimed four of the five yearly awards given out by the Atlantic 10 as announced by the league office on Nov. 20:
Tim Horsmon - Coach of the Year,
Alaina Turner - Player of the Year,
Janna Krafka - Libero of the Year and
Jane Emmenecker - Setter of the Year. This is the first end-of-the-year award for each student-athlete and the second time coach Horsmon (2005) has been recognized.
Up NextDayton will travel to Carbondale, Illinois, to take part in the Comfort Inn Saluki Invitational hosted by Southern Illinois. UD will square off against UT Martin, Western Kentucky and the host SIU Salukis. The Flyers' three matches will be played in Davies Gym on Sept. 4 & 5.
