DAYTON – The No. 24-ranked University of Dayton volleyball team opens the Atlantic 10 season by welcoming Rhode Island to the Gem City for a pair of matches this weekend at the Frericks Center.

The Flyers and Rams play Friday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. and turn around to play Saturday, Sept. 28 at 2 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.
 
Almodvar Earns A-10 Player of the Week
Redshirt senior Lexie Almodovar continued her torrid start to the 2024 campaign last weekend, earning her first Atlantic 10 Player of the Week honor of the season.
 
The Noblesville, Ind. native averaged 5.27 kills per set, hitting .333, and putting up 2.73 digs per set in UD's three wins. Almodovar finished with a season-best 28 kills while hitting .423 in a win over South Florida, and had 15 in each of the Flyers other two matches.
 
For the weekend, Almodovar also added seven total blocks and five aces, giving her an average of 6.09 points per set.
 
Almodovar entered exclusive company last weekend, becoming just the seventh Flyer in program history to eclipse the 1,000 mark in both kills and digs.
 
Miller Time!
Senior Alyssa Miller has not only been the best setter in the A-10 this season, averaging a league-best 11.26 per set, but she's also No. 5 in all of the NCAA.
 
After leading the conference by averaging over 10 assists per set last season, the Overland Park, Kan. native has continued to improve in her final year as a Flyer. She's running an offense that is hitting .299 this season, which leads the A-10 and is ninth in the nation, and has a kills per set mark of 14.10, tops in the conference and 15th nationally.
 
Sarkissian Continues to Shine
Coming off her first career Atlantic 10 Player of the Week (Sept. 16), junior middle blocker Liana Sarkissian had another strong weekend for the Flyers, including setting a new career-high for kills with 16 against FGCU.
 
Sarkissian leads the Flyers in hitting percentage this season (.434) and is second on the team in kills (2.89), blocks (1.05), and points (3.69) per set.
 
Kaminsky Keeps Crushing It
For the second consecutive season, Karissa Kaminsky has shined as the Flyers' libero, averaging 4.05 digs per set so far this season.
 
The Howards Grove, Wis. native has logged double-digit digs in four consecutive matches, and has had 10-or-more in nine matches on the campaign. The junior registered a season-high 25 digs against Illinois on Sept. 13.
 
Almodovar Chases History
Almodovar has 1,640 kills in her career, trailing Dayton Hall of Famer and all-time UDVB kill leader Faye Barhorst by 156 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).
 
Closing in on 400
Dayton head coach Tim Horsmon, now in his 16th season as the Flyers' coach (2003-08; 2014-Present), sits just 12 wins away from 400 in his career at UD.
 
Horsmon, who is already the all-time winningest Dayton coach, has a 385-108 record while at the helm of the Flyers for an all-time winning percentage of .781. For his total 25-year career, Horsmon has a 561-272 record.
 
Scouting Rhode Island
Rhode Island comes into the weekend with a 5-8 record and has won three of its last six matches.
 
Freshman middle blocker Havyn Rolle leads the Rams with 2.37 kills per set this season, hitting a strong .331 in her rookie campaign. Sophomore pin hitter Madi Disu is just behind Rolle in production, averaging 2.33 kills per set. Rhode Island runs a 6-2 offense with Kiera McCarles (5.28 ast./set) and Catalina Hendricks (2.36 ast/set) running the show.
 
Dayton has won 16 consecutive matches over the Rams, and has taken the last four in straight sets.
 
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