Between the 1950s and '60s, Dayton men's basketball won 436 games in two decades of college basketball dominance. The team's home court was on campus starting in 1950, at the Fieldhouse, now known as Frericks Center. In December of 1969, UD Arena was opened due to the Flyers' success on the hardwood. However, after 55 years, both buildings are home to a winning tradition and a squad in the top 25.

The Dayton Flyers volleyball team now calls Frericks Center home, and this Friday will be recognized at UD Arena for their achievements in 2023. Tim Horsmon's group finished the year 32-3 and a perfect 18-0 in the Atlantic 10 Conference, winning both the regular season and tournament titles.

This past season was a major turnaround from the 2022 campaign, which saw the Flyers go 20-14 and 12-6 in the conference. A season filled with injuries, UD was still able to play in its ninth-consecutive title match falling to Loyola Chicago 3-1 (25-16, 23-25, 25-15, 25-23). The 14 losses marked the most in a season since 1994. 



Coach Horsmon described the change this past fall in three phases. "This year we were healthy, had a really good spring, and the players worked hard in the summer."

For 2023, the Flyers returned 13 and added four freshmen and one graduate student. That hard work was on full display when Dayton opened the season against the 24th-ranked Western Kentucky Hilltoppers. The Flyers dominated the match winning in three sets (25-20, 25-11, 25-16). UD hit .365 and held WKU to a .000 hitting percentage. The Hilltoppers would finish the year in the second round of the NCAA Tournament with a 30-5 record and a perfect 16-0 mark in Conference USA. 

For assistant coach Christa Cooper, it was her first game on the bench for the Flyers after being hired in the off-season. Just three sets into the season, Cooper explained the special start. "We just went out and played each point one at a time, staying in the moment," said Cooper. "Then I think it hit us when the match was over that this could be just the beginning!"

Director of operations and assistant coach, Kaylee Thomas agreed adding, "When we got to put those pieces together against Western Kentucky -- that was the first time I really stepped back and recognized that we had a team that could not only perform individually at a high level but could dominate together at a high level."



Dayton's first match and first weekend of the season was foreshadowing for the fall season. The Flyer Invitational included UD, WKU, Drake, and Marquette. Day two started with a thrilling comeback with Dayton beating Drake in five sets (25-27, 25-19, 23-25, 25-23, 15-11). Junior Alyssa Miller tallied 50 assists, just one short of her career high. With Dayton's balance, Miller had a lot of options and much-improved ball control.
UD's head coach was impressed by his setter, "I think the changes that she made and the growth that she made from last year to this year were instrumental to us being a better team," said Horsmon.
Assistant coach Tim Balice, also marveled at the junior's play, saying, "She did some amazing things this year and navigated four different sets with two different tempos for our pins and middles."
In the nightcap, Dayton faced the #12 ranked Marquette Golden Eagles and Miller once again recorded 50 assists. She also added 13 digs, but she wasn't the only Flyer with a massive double-double, as Lexie Almodovar finished with 32 kills and 15 digs.

The Flyers were able to force a fifth set against a program coming off a third-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament in 2022. Dayton was down to match point trailing Marquette 14-8, when freshman Gabby Arroyo sparked the Flyers at the service line and Dayton was able to tie the fifth set at 14. The Golden Eagles grabbed the next two points and won the match 3-2 (20-25, 25-18, 23-25, 25-22, 16-14).
It was a buzzing start to the season and, even with the loss, Dayton took a lot of positives from the Flyer Invitational, including the play of Arroyo and the addition of graduate transfer Anna MacDonald. Coach Horsmon was not afraid to put Arroyo in big moments, saying "She doesn't flinch, she always looks composed and confident." That confidence was another key for the Flyers in 2023, as Horsmon added, "Gabby and Anna brought some stability in how we were playing because they're confident kids."



For MacDonald, she landed at UD after graduating from Wisconsin, where she was part of four years of volleyball dominance, experiencing 100 wins, four Big Ten titles, three trips to national semifinals, and one National Championship in 2021. Coach Horsmon was thrilled to add a winner to the roster and valued her experience, saying, "Being in the gym of a program that's won a national championship, being in big moments and big matches, she's a mature fifth-year player, who never questioned her ability." Coach added, "She exudes confidence and that's what we needed."

Winning can help create confidence and the Flyers racked up three more wins during Labor Day weekend at the Dayton Flyer Classic. UD started with a 3-1 victory over North Dakota State and swept Butler before trailing by two sets to the Ohio Bobcats. The Flyers' offense turned it on in the third, fourth, and fifth to come back and beat the Bobcats 3-2 (21-25, 21-25, 25-22, 25-17, 15-11).  Almodovar, Amelia Moore, Taylor Russell and Alayna Yates all were in double figures in kills and Alyssa Miller set a career-high with 54 assists.

UD then welcomed the 2022 national runner-up in the second-ranked Louisville Cardinals to Frericks Center. In front of a packed house, Dayton and Louisville went back and forth in a thrilling five-set match. For a Wednesday night in early September, the game had the feel of an NCAA tournament contest. The Cardinals eventually came out on top, winning 3-2 (17-25,25-23,19-25, 25-19,11-15), but the Flyers were right there and competed at a high level. 
Before conference play started, UD swept the eventual champions out of the Horizon League in Wright State (27-25, 25-15, 25-20) and the Missouri Valley Conference in Northern Iowa (26-24, 25-22, 25-19). The results from the challenging non-conference schedule provided Dayton with more confidence and belief in a simple slogan put on the team's whiteboard that read "surrender the outcome." 

Balice explained the team's commitment to the message as, "Playing loose and letting it rip. That's when you can truly reach your potential and I do think having those early wins allowed that personality to come out from those first couple weekends."

It was at UNI that the non-conference schedule ended with the Flyers winning three matches in nine sets.  It was a special homecoming for Yates, the Cedar Falls, Iowa, native who was named tournament MVP and later received A-10 Player of the Week.

Yates was making plenty of noise on the floor, but the team's chemistry away from the net was also providing dividends and the middle blocker was a huge part of that as Thomas explained, "She has such an inviting presence that encourages you to build relationships, and that has been such a huge factor in the camaraderie of our team".

Yates was joined by Karissa Kaminski for the A-10 weekly honors, who had 42 digs on the weekend and posted a perfect 1.000 reception percentage in 29 attempts against UNI.  Kaminski, a defensive specialist/libero, was in her second year at UD and her coach called her, "A great competitor." He added, "Having her on the floor for six rotations changed what we looked like."



The Flyers entered the A-10 looking to get back into the winner's circle and they started with the defending champs – the Loyola-Chicago Ramblers. UD took the weekend series 3-1 (25-21, 21-25, 25-18, 25-23) and 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-20). Following the second set in the first match, Dayton would go almost a month without losing a set, winning 30-straight sets during that stretch. 

The run included Russell being named Player of the Week twice and Almodovar picking up the honor for a second time on October 17th. Each player would win it three total times during the season. The one-two punch was a challenge for the opponent and a joy for coach Horsmon as he described it as, "a two-headed monster. Two players that are coming at you differently. Between both of them, I don't think you got a lot of breaks."
The numbers would support that statement with Almodovar leading the league in points, aces, and kills per set. Russell was right behind her, finishing second in aces, third in points, and sixth in kills per set. The Whitehouse, Ohio, native ended her breakout season by being named First Team All-Conference. For Almodovar, she received the first-team honor for the fourth time in her career and was recognized as Atlantic 10 Player of the Year.
Both players led Dayton from the service line and as a team, the Flyers finished first in the country with 278 aces. Russell and Almodovar both ranked in the top 20 in the NCAA in serving aces and the top 40 in aces per set. Amongst aces per set in the conference, Dayton had five out of the top 10.

UD's dominance at the service line matched up with their results in conference play. The Flyers finished the regular season on November 11, with a 3-0 victory over VCU. The team was a perfect 18-0 in conference and Dayton lost only two sets during league play. Moore had a big weekend averaging over three kills per set, 1.50 digs per set, and hit .395%. Already named Defensive Player of the Week twice, she capped off her career by receiving A-10 Player of the Week.



It was a fitting end to playing her last game at Frericks Center. Moore, from Ocean Springs, Mississippi, has been a huge piece of Dayton's success and its return to the top claiming the program's 16th regular season title. Balice commended the middle blocker's role as, "the one who drove the ship, this is truly a player-led team."  Coach Horsmon agreed saying, "Amelia has been a great leader for us the last few years, being a 6-year kid, she's been in it and done it, knew what it took".

The next week, Moore would be named First Team All-Conference for the third time in her career. The honor was felt by her teammates and other middle blockers. For Balice, the Flyer's depth was one of their biggest strengths and that position was a prime example, saying, "That group helped sharpen each other".

Coach Cooper added it was a special unit where, "it did not matter who started or who was on the floor, they were always engaged and ready to go pick each other up and push each other at practice. It allowed us flexibility with matchups, and each of them had standout performances."

That group would rise to the occasion again in the A-10 semifinal in Davidson, North Carolina, where Moore hit .591% with 14 kills and four blocks, Yates added six kills, eight blocks, and hit .471%.  The Flyers advanced to the championship beating Saint Louis 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 25-15, 27-25). Russell collected 20 kills, Miller finished with 53 assists, and Almodovar had a huge double-double with 18 kills and 22 digs.

The Flyers ended the A-10 season the same way they had started it -- with a 3-1 victory over Loyola Chicago. Almodovar capped off the championship with another double-double recording 20 kills and 14 digs and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. Coach Horsmon said the outside hitter had elevated her game and "separated herself 100% this year from the previous years. Just the way she managed herself, especially point scoring and how she offensively handled big moments was really phenomenal."



The American Volleyball Coaches Association agreed and in December, named Almodovar Midwest Region Player of the Year. In addition, the Muncie, Indiana, native became the 18th Flyer to be named to an All-American roster. Leading by example, Almodovar and the Flyers returned to the top by winning the program's 16th tournament title and earning the league's automatic bid into the NCAA Tournament.

Watching the selection show, UD hoped they had done enough to play again on Hausfeld Court in Frericks Center in front of their home fans. However, when their name was called, Dayton would be traveling over 2,100 miles to take on Pepperdine at Washington State University.

After making the long trip, the Flyers were excited to get back on the big stage and motivated to make some noise after missing out the previous year. However, during serve and pass preparing for Pepperdine, McDonald suffered a painful, season-ending injury.

The graduate student was taken to the hospital, and coach Balice, after a long pause, described the moment, "It hurt, really hurt, she was in a lot of pain, and we hurt for her." After a relatively healthy season, the Flyers were now missing one of their leaders and had to refocus on trying to embrace the competitive fire and confidence that MacDonald brought to UD. In the biggest moment, Dayton was able to perform under the bright lights of the NCAA Tournament, thanks to its chemistry.

Coach Cooper highlights the team's biggest strength as, "ultimate love and trust in each other. This team was excited for every challenge thrown their way and never gave up." Dayton trailed Pepperdine 2-1 going into the fourth set, but the Flyers were not ready to go home. Brooke Nichols was called on and she answered. Her head coach was not surprised saying, "We have a lot of good players on our team, Brooke came in and played great -- didn't flinch. Stepped up in a big moment for us."

Also rising to the occasion were Emily Young, who played all five sets, and Gabby Arroyo who finished with a career-high 22 digs. Almodovar added to her double-double streak with 19 kills and 17 digs. At the front of the net, sophomore Liana Sarkissian was strong, hitting .391% with 10 kills.



Dayton's depth and balance were back on display, this time heading into the second round of the NCAA Tournament. The Flyers squared off against the host Washington State Cougars and it was a tough start for UD. Dayton trailed two sets going into the third before Lindsey Winner provided the energy. Leading by example, the senior, from Versailles, Ohio, left it all out there hitting .455% with six kills and one block. Her response did not surprise her head coach, who said, "She's the dark horse of this group, always pushing them, probably one of the coolest kids I've ever coached. Didn't complain a single day in four years, great attitude, great worker, smart, unbelievable teammate, leader, captain."

Named the A-10 Defensive Player of the Week earlier in the season, Winner's hard work in practice was a huge part of some of UD's other accolades. For Thomas, she described the senior leader as, "the true epitome of being a great teammate. Her primary goal as a player was always to make the team better, and you could see that every, single, day."

The Flyers' 27-game win streak ended after falling to the Cougars 3-1 (21-25, 15-25, 25-20, 25-16).

In the last 30 years of the program's history, only the 2007 team has won more games at 33. Multiple banners hang in the Frericks Center -- the 2023 Flyers will be added to that list.
Coach Horsmon said that it's a team that taught him a lot, explaining it as, "one of my favorite years coaching, not just because of the wins, but the response from last year. They were easy to coach, we had so much fun on and off the court." He continued, "this is what it's all about. Right group, they're fearless, they sacrifice for each other, they give, they're not selfish, they're selfless, they love each other, and they love this program. This group is pretty special."

Over 19,700 fans packed the Amalie Arena, in Tampa, Florida, to watch Texas beat Nebraska in the NCAA Championship. It was in Lincoln, Nebraska, in August that over 92,000 filled Memorial Stadium to watch Nebraska beat Omaha. Later this month here in Ohio, the Columbus Fury, in its inaugural season part of the Pro Volleyball Federation, will play its home opener at Nationwide Arena against the Omaha Supernovas. Volleyball is on the rise, and on Friday, 13,409 fans will come to their feet to celebrate a top-20 championship team that left its legacy on a proud program.