University of Dayton Athletics

DAYTON – The University of Dayton volleyball team defeats Duquesne (25-19, 25-17, 22-25, 27-25) on Tuesday after a forced fourth set resulted in eight lead changes. The Flyers move to 5-0 in Atlantic 10 play.

The Flyers broke away early in the first set 15-9, but Duquesne fought late in the set to tighten the lead, 18-14. Senior Kamryn Hunt led the Flyers on a three-point run to keep the advantage, eventually allowing junior Abigail Cresse to kill for set point.

Duquesne kept the second set tied at five-all early. A kill coming from Cresse gave Dayton a chance to bring the lead to 8-5. The Dukes held Dayton 11-9, but two consecutive kills by sophomore Charlotte Vinson, one assisted by freshman Natalie Harrington, widened Dayton's lead by three (14-9). Continuing the momentum, a four-point run led by Harrington put the Flyers into position for set point. A kill by Vinson finished the set, 25-17.

The Flyers trailed early on in the third set 12-8, but after a Duke challenge, a solo block by Cresse gave Dayton the energy to tighten Duquesne's lead to 15-13. The Dukes continued to pull away with the lead, but the Flyers did not let them lead for long, with a hard-fought kill by Hunt bringing the score to 22-20 late in the set. Dayton's attack kept the third set close, but Duquesne outpaced the Flyers to force a fourth set.

Throughout the fourth set, both teams kept the score tight, tying the set 19 times with eight lead changes. Despite Dayton taking a 20-17 lead late in the set, the Dukes crawled back to lead 24-22. A kill by senior Gabriela Machin Borges and a block assist for Cresse and Vinson tied the set once more at 24 apiece. The back-and-forth affair continued with freshman Sidney Sprada putting up a kill to earn set point. The Cresse-Vinson duo put the match away with a 27-25 score in the fourth.

BY THE NUMBERS
.615 – Attack percentage for Abigail Cresse

45 – Total digs from Dayton defense

16 – Kills from Kamryn Hunt, leading the Flyers

12 – Total blocks for Cresse, a career high

14 – Total blocks for Dayton, compared to Duquesne's three

19 – total ties in the fourth and final set

UP NEXT
The Flyers are set to play Saint Louis on the road in Saint Louis, Mo. on Oct. 9-10 at the Chaifetz Pavilion.