DAYTON - The University of Dayton volleyball team is heading to Pittsburgh to take on Atlantic 10 foe Duquesne Friday night. The two are set to square off at 7 p.m. at the Dukes' A.J. Palumbo Center.
About Dayton
Dayton (12-5, 3-1 A-10) suffered its first conference loss of the season at the hands of VCU, 3-1, at home on Sunday. The loss snapped the Flyers' seven-match winning streak and is only UD's third loss in regular-season league play over the last five years. Dayton is led by senior
Lauren Bruns with 4.35 kills/set (1st A-10, 21st NCAA) and her 296 total kills on the season ranks sixth in all of Division I. Senior
Kendyll Brown is the squad's top blocker with 1.02 blocks/set (7th A-10) and senior
Margo Wolf leads the team with 3.71 digs/set (9th A-10).
Scouting Duquesne
Duquesne (6-10, 1-3 A-10) split its Atlantic 10 road trip last week picking up a 3-2 win at Fordham before falling 3-0 at Rhode Island. As a team, the Dukes ranks second in the A-10 with 16.46 digs/set and fourth with 1.36 blocks/set. Duquesne is led by Summer Slade with 2.45 kills/set while Dani Suiter is the team's primary setter with 9.02 assist/set (4th A-10).
Series Stuff
In a series that dates back to 1990, Dayton and Duquesne have squared off 46 times with the Flyers holding the 42-4 all-time advantage. The Dukes' last two wins both came in the 2013 season and Duquesne bested Dayton 3-1 in both the regular season and the A-10 Championship. The Flyers have won the last six meetings.
RPI Rankings
In the NCAA's Rating Percentage Index (RPI), Dayton currently ranks 28th according to NCAA.com. Duquesne comes in at 240.
Last Time Out
After Dayton claimed set one, 25-18, it was all VCU as the Rams took Sunday afternoon's match by a margin of 3-1. Sophomore
Brooke Westbeld tallied a 12-kill, 25 assist double-double while sophomore
Bridget Doherty also had the 2-2 with 17 assists and 13 digs.
Flyer Facts
•
Tim Horsmon is in his 10th season overall, and fifth since 2007, as head coach of the Flyers in 2018. His record at Dayton is 250-70 and his career win-loss mark sits at 426-234 in 20 seasons as a head coach. Horsmon is the program's second-winningest coach behind only R. Elaine Dreidame who amassed 310 wins 1970-79.
• Over the last 10 seasons (2009-2018), the Flyers have recorded a 122-11 (.917) mark in regular season Atlantic 10 Conference play, including a perfect 14-0 mark in 2016, 2015 and 2012 and a 15-0 record in 2010. UD suffered only one conference loss in 2017, 2014, 2011 and 2009.
• Dayton made its 18th-consecutive and 21st overall appearance in the Atlantic 10 Championship in 2017. The Flyers have reached conference post-season play every year they have been a member of the A-10 except 1995 and 1999. UD holds a 25-10 record in league tournaments.
• Dayton has won the Atlantic 10 Regular Season title 13 times (2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2006, 2005, 2004, 2001, 1998). The Flyers have won the A-10 Championship title a league-record 11 times (2016, 2015, 2014, 2012, 2011, 2010, 2009, 2007, 2005, 2004, 2003) and made their 12th NCAA appearance in program history in 2016.
• With two wins at the 2014 Bowling Green Hampton Inn Invitational, Dayton surpassed the 1,000-win mark as a program to become just the 13th NCAA DI team to attain that level of success. The Flyers currently rank 12th all-time in the Division I record book with an overall program tally of 1,120-587 (.656) over 48 seasons (1970).
• The Flyers finished the 2017 season with a 23-8 overall record and a 13-1 Atlantic 10 mark, finishing in second place in regular-season league play. 2017 was the program's 39th winning season and its 30th 20-win season.
Looking Ahead
Dayton will head over to Philadelphia Saturday for a 7 p.m. match-up against La Salle at Tom Gola Arena.
