DAYTON - The University of Dayton volleyball team is set to get its 2019 season underway on Saturday, Aug. 24, by hosting an exhibition match against Pittsburgh. First serve between the Flyers and 12-th-ranked Panthers is set for 1 p.m. at Frericks Center. Admission is free.

Earlier this week, Dayton was picked to claim the 2019 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship title, according the preseason poll voted on by the league's 10 head coaches. Dayton was 12-2 in conference play and 23-8 overall in 2018 beating VCU 3-2 in the championship final for the top spot and the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA tournament. The Flyers return four starters from last year's Atlantic 10 Championship team, including 2018 Rookie of the Year, Alli Papesh. Also returning for 2019 is 2018 AVCA Honorable Mention All-America setter/right-side hitter Brooke Westbeld, who posted five triple doubles which ranked second-most in all of NCAA DI. UD made the program's 13th appearance in the NCAA Tournament last season after defeating A-10 regular-season champ VCU in five sets in the tournament title match.

Scouting Pitt
The Panthers enter the season having earned their highest preseason ranking in program history, coming in at No. 12 in the initial AVCA poll and, for the second-consecutive year, Pitt topped the ACC Volleyball Preseason Coaches Poll. Four members of the squad were named to the All-ACC Preseason Team and the Panthers welcomed seven newcomers to their 2019 roster, including six freshmen and one redshirt senior transfer.

What's New
As part of the Hausfeld family's generous donation, Dayton volleyball was able to install Taraflex™ Sport M Performance Dry-Tex flooring in Frericks Center gym earlier this month and included adding the #14 to the sideline in honor of Kacie Hausfeld. The playing surface is used by the top teams in the country and also internationally is the primary surface for FIVB matches. Head coach Tim Horsmon commented, "Our new floor has changed how we approach practice everyday. We typically would have to dry off the existing wood floor after every couple of plays. We no longer have to do that, and our players can play with a trust that they can cut and move with balance and stability."

Reserve Your Seat
Once again, Dayton Athletics will be offering premium reserved seating for the 2019 Dayton Flyers volleyball regular season. While admission to all matches in Frericks Center is free, you can secure a reserved padded, court-side seat for the whole season for a $100 per seat non-deductible contribution to volleyball. Click here for more information.