DAYTON – The No. 24-ranked Dayton volleyball team travels to the Sunshine State to take part in the FGCU Homewood Suites Fort Myers Tournament this weekend, Sept. 19-20 at Alico Arena.
 
The tournament's three-team field includes USF and host FGCU, with the Flyers scheduled to take on South Florida twice. UD faces off with the Bulls to open the weekend on Friday, Sept. 19 at 11 a.m., then plays against the host Eagles at 7 p.m. Dayton wraps the weekend with a 1 p.m. match against USF on Saturday, Sept. 21.
 
Sarkissian Named A-10 Player of the Week
The Atlantic 10 named junior middle blocker Liana Sarkissian its Player of the Week on Monday (Sept. 16) after her standout performance at the WKU Invitational last weekend.
 
Sarkissian averaged 3.36 kills per set while hitting .408 and added four service aces and a 1.09 blocks per set mark in Dayton's three matches. The Greenwich, Conn. native had 37 total kills, with a season-high 14 against Marquette, to go along with a career-best five digs against host Western Kentucky. The junior earned a spot on the WKU Hyatt Place Invitational All-Tournament Team.
 
Kaminski Keeps Krushing It
Junior libero Karissa Kaminski was a defensive force for the Flyers last weekend, averaging 4.45 digs per set and a .951 reception percentage over three matches. The Howards Grove, Wis. native had a season-high 25 digs in UD's four-set victory over Illinois, and added 19 more in Dayton's match against Marquette. Kaminski did not commit a reception error in the first two matches of the weekend, going 32-for-32.
 
Almodovar Etches Her Name In the Record Books
Redshirt senior Lexie Almodovar continues her climb up the Dayton volleyball record books in her final season as a Flyer. The Noblesville, Ind. native had two kill-dig double-doubles last weekend (24-12 vs. Illinois / 14-14 vs. Marquette) and is now just three digs away from becoming the seventh Flyer to be in the 1,000 kill/1,000 dig club.
 
Almodovar has 1,582 kills in her career, trailing Dayton Hall of Famer and all-time UDVB kill leader Faye Barhorst by 214 kills. Almodovar currently sits in fourth in program history behind Barhorst (1,796; 2003-06), Carrie Cordonnier (1,679; 1987-90), and Cathy Wojciechowski (1,645; 1990-93).
 
It's Miller Time!
Senior setter Alyssa Miller, who was an Atlantic 10 All-Conference member a year ago, is still playing at a high level in her final season as a Flyer.
 
The Overland Park, Kan. is leading the A-10 in assists per set and ranks fourth in the NCAA, averaging a career-best 11.36 on the season. Miller is orchestrating a Flyers' offense that's hitting .292 on the campaign, which ranks 11th in the country heading into the weekend
 
Miller has registered three consecutive 40+ assist matches and has eclipsed 40 helpers in five of the last six matches.
 
About The Opponents
USF is 4-4 on the season after three weeks of play, with half of their losses coming against AVCA Top 25 opponents (No. 20 Florida State / No. 25 Georgia). The Bulls also have a Top 25 win on their resume, having topped No. 10 Florida in five sets on the road.
 
FGCU is a perennial NCAA Tournament team having made the national tournament each of the last three seasons as champions of the A-Sun. The Eagles, who were picked to finish second in their league in 2024, are 7-2 on the young season.
 
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