University of Dayton Athletics

FAIRFAX, Va. – The University of Dayton volleyball team got back into the win column on Friday night with a four-set win over George Mason (25-27, 25-16, 25-20, 25-19).

The Patriots took as much as a six-point lead in the first set. With George Mason up 21-15, the Flyers went on a three-point run to keep things close with kills from sophomore Charlotte Vinson and an error for the Patriots. Three consecutive kills for senior Kamryn Hunt made it a one-point set at 22-21 before Dayton tied the set at 23-all with a kill for freshman Sidney Sprada and an ace for Hunt. UD pushed the set to extra points, but George Mason took the first set.

Dayton took an early 8-2 lead in the second set with a five-point run, featuring a kill for both Hunt and Vinson, a block for freshman Ava Liening and senior Gabriela Machin Borges and a service ace for graduate Rylee Sloss. The Flyers' blocking efforts proved critical in set two, with four block assists, led by Cresse, Liening and Machin Borges, each with two.

With a narrow 8-7 lead, Dayton opened up set three on a six-point run with a kill for fifth-year Kaleigh Meritt, four kills for Machin Borges and a block for Cresse and Meritt. George Mason was able to whittle the lead down from seven points to four, but Vinson was able to get a kill on set point to give the Flyers the 2-1 set advantage.

The Flyers began set four with a 3-0 lead from a service error and kills from Sprada and Machin Borges. After GMU came back to tie the set 11-11, Meritt helped Dayton pull back ahead by breaking the tie score, with a block for Cresse and Vinson and an ace for Sprada widening the Flyers' lead to 14-11. The Patriots kept within three throughout the set, but Dayton inched closer to 25 points with a kill for Meritt, a block by Cresse and Hunt and an attack error to set up set point at 24-18. A kill for Vinson won the match for the Flyers.

BY THE NUMBERS
14 – Kills for Gabriela Machin Borges, leading Dayton and setting a season high

.542 – Hitting percentage for Machin Borges, the best for the Flyers

2 – Service aces for Sidney Sprada, contributing to Dayton's five aces on the night

7 – Block assists for Cresse, pacing all players

16 – Digs for sophomore libero Morgan Asleson, setting a career high

UP NEXT
Dayton plays George Mason on Saturday, Oct. 31 at noon.