DAYTON – The University of Dayton volleyball is back in action for the second week of the season.

The Tru by Hilton Dayton Invitational will take place at the Nutter Center on Sept. 4-6, facing Ball State, Western Kentucky and Wright State.

Sunday's match against Wright State will be live-streamed on ESPN+.

ABOUT THE FLYERS
After falling to sixth-ranked Louisville in three consecutive sets, the Flyers will look to rebound this week in a 3 match invitational with games against Ball State, RV Western Kentucky, and Wright State.

Dayton is hoping to bounce back and secure victories against all three teams with momentum from freshman Sidney Sprada, being named A-10 Rookie of the Week: Her first conference honor of the season.

Led by 2 key stat holders, Charlotte Vinson, who holds 47 kills, and Natalie Harrington, with 83 assists, are expected to capitalize on their strong individual performances as the team prepares for its next matchup. 

ABOUT BALL STATE
The Flyers' first competitor of the Invitational, Ball State, has started its season 2-0, with wins against Notre Dame and Xavier. 

Ball State opened its season with a five-set victory against Notre Dame before securing the win against Xavier in four. Junior libero Sophie Ledbetter led the team defensively with 23 digs against Notre Dame and 26 against Xavier.

Ledbetter was also recognized as the Mid-American Conference Defensive Player of the Week. This honor makes it her third career time being named player of the week. 

ABOUT RV WESTERN KENTUCKY
Western Kentucky enters the week with a 2-1 record after opening the season with a 3-0 victory over Southeast Missouri State. They are receiving votes in this week's AVCA Top 25.

The Hilltoppers claimed a 3-0 sweep against Southeast Missouri State with standout performances from sophomores Kaira Knox with 11 kills and Kate Rush tallying 22 assists. Their second match against Oregon did not give the same outcome they had hoped for, ending in a 0-3 loss. 

Despite the loss, sophomore Setter Kate Rush continued to make an impact and was named Conference USA Setter of the Week. She finished the tournament after compiling an impressive stat line with 16 kills, 81 assists, and 18 digs. 

ABOUT WRIGHT STATE
Hosting the invitational, the Wright State Raiders are 2-1 on the season with wins against Santa Clare and Marquette and a loss against Eastern Illinois. 

Senior Mya Ayro had a standout performance and brought the Raiders to their first win in four sets against Santa Clara. The senior not only finished with a match-high of 24 kills, but also surpassed her 1,000 career kills mark during the fourth set, leading her to be named Horizon League Player of the Week. 

Making her way to the top of the stat board, senior Lauren Yacobucci helped direct the offence by having 54 assists, 2 kills, and 9 digs. 

UP NEXT
Dayton will travel to Tampa, Fla. for the South Florida Invitational, playing South Florida, TCU and Florida Atlantic on Sept. 11-13.

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