University of Dayton Athletics

DAYTON – The University of Dayton volleyball team made a comeback against Loyola Chicago for a five-set win on Friday night. (25-19, 14-25, 20-25, 25-15, 15-13).

Trailing 9-5, Dayton tied the first set on a four-point run with a kill for senior Gabriela Machin Borges, a solo for junior Abigail Cresse and a block assist from freshman Sidney Sprada and Cresse. With a 16-13 lead, the Flyers extended their lead to 19-13 on a pair of aces for graduate Rylee Sloss, a kill for Machin Borges and a service error for the Ramblers. Dayton continued to lead in the first set, putting the first set away on a service error and a kill for senior Kamryn Hunt.

Loyola Chicago went on an eight-point run early in the second set for a 10-3 lead. The Ramblers continued to pull ahead for a 23-11 lead before Dayton went on a three-point run on a service error and kills for Sloss and freshman Ava Liening to cut their lead to 23-14. Loyola Chicago tallied back-to-back kills to tie the match at a set apiece.

With set three tied at 11-all, the Ramblers took a six-point lead, taking advantage of two Dayton attack errors for a 17-11 lead. Dayton strung together back-to-back points three separate times to put the set within five, but Loyola Chicago kept out ahead to win set three.

Ahead 15-11, the Flyers widened their lead to 21-11 on a block assist for Cresse and Machin Borges, a pair of aces for freshman Natalie Harrington, a kill for Vinson and a pair of errors for Loyola Chicago. UD held onto that momentum in the end of the set with a kill for Hunt, an ace for sophomore Morgan Asleson and a block for Hunt and sophomore Isabel Simmons, forcing a fifth set.

Dayton took a 3-0 lead to open the fifth off of a pair of errors for Loyola Chicago and a block assist for Simmons and Vinson. The Ramblers held on throughout the fifth set, taking narrow leads throughout. Down 11-10, kills for Vinson and Hunt regained the Dayton lead. After the Ramblers tied the set at 12 apiece, another kill for Hunt and an error for Loyola Chicago set up match point. Dayton got the win on a block assist for Machin Borges and Simmons.

BY THE NUMBERS
16 – Kills for Sidney Sprada, the most for the Flyers

25 – Assists for Natalie Harrington, followed by Rylee Sloss's 19

3 – Service aces for Morgan Asleson and Harrington

11 – Dayton service aces, compared to Loyola Chicago's four

4 – Block assists for Abigail Cresse, contributing to the Flyers' 18 total block assists

UP NEXT
Dayton will face the Ramblers again on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 1 p.m.