DAYTON – The University of Dayton volleyball team took down Rhode Island on Saturday afternoon in four sets (25-19, 22-25, 25-15, 25-10).
With an 18-16 lead, freshman Ava Liening began a four-point Flyer run. Fifth-year Kaleigh Meritt tallied a kill to force a Rhode Island timeout, with an ace for senior Kamryn Hunt and another kill for Liening to give Dayton a 22-16 lead. The Rams stayed within six the rest of the way before junior Abigail Cresse won the first set for the Flyers with a kill.
Rhode Island led through most of the second set. Down 20-16, a kill and a service ace for Hunt and a solo block for Liening made it a one-point game, still in favor of the Rams. URI pulled back out ahead at 23-19. Kills for Hunt and Meritt and an ace for sophomore Morgan Asleson brought the set back within one at 23-22 before the Rams won the set.
Dayton took an 8-2 lead early in set three with a five-point run off kills for sophomore Charlotte Vinson and freshman Sidney Sprada, a pair of aces for Cresse and an error for Rhode Island. With a 19-14 lead, the Flyers pulled out ahead to a 10-point lead. After a service error, the Dayton block showed out with block assists for senior Gabriela Machin Borges and Cresse and Cresse and Meritt and a solo block for Cresse. Asleson ended the run with a service ace to earn set point. A kill for Machin Borges ended the third set, 25-15.
After the Rams opened set four 3-0, UD went on a seven-point tear with a pair of aces for Sprada, two kills for Cresse, blocks for the Cresse-Sprada and Cresse-Vinson duos and an attack error for the Rams. Up three, Dayton went on another lengthy run, pushing their lead to 14-6. Hunt and Machin Borges beat the Rhode Island defense for kills, with Liening and Machin Borges combining for a block and graduate Rylee Sloss tallying an ace. Leading 22-10, the Flyers won the match on a service error by the Rams and back-to-back aces for Sprada.
BY THE NUMBERS
15 – Kills for Kamryn Hunt, leading all players and earning a double-double with 12 digs
3 – Flyers with double-digit kills: Hunt (15), Kaleigh Meritt (10) and Charlotte Vinson (10)
.625 – Attack percentage for Ava Liening, going 5-for-8 with no errors
5 – Aces for Sidney Sprada, setting a career high
16 – Total service aces for the Flyers
8 – Total blocks for Abigail Cresse with two solo blocks and six block assists
UP NEXT
Dayton will conclude the regular season with a pair of matches against VCU in Richmond, Va. on Nov. 13-14.
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