The University of Dayton volleyball team swept two Atlantic 10 teams Friday, Oct. 26, and Saturday, Oct. 27, at the Frericks Center.
The Flyers hosted George Washington University during the Friday night matchup and Duquesne University Saturday night.
The Flyers entered the week ranked No. 15 in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association poll with an overall record of 19-4 and a record of 11-0 in the A-10, placing them in first out of the 16 teams in the conference.
During the Friday night matchup, the Flyers swept the Colonials in three sets 25-17, 25-22, 25-15. There were more than 900 UD fans in the audience creating an exciting atmosphere for the conference matchup.
Senior outside hitter Rachel Krabacher led the Flyers in kills totaling 12, while freshman outside hitter Alaina Turner totaled 11 kills. Junior middle blocker Megan Campbell and senior setter Samantha Selsky totaled seven blocks, collectively.
“Coming into every game, we look forward to playing our best on the court and really showing people what UD volleyball is all about,” Krabacher said. “We work hard all week in practice, and we look forward to showing people we’re one of the hardest working teams in the country.”
Krabacher said the team was ready for Saturday night’s match.
“Going into Saturday’s match, we focused on not letting the distractions of the eventful day alter our focus,” said Krabacher. “The main purpose of Saturday’s game is another A-10 opponent that we’re looking to play our best against.”
On Saturday, Dayton hosted Duquesne. During the game, Dayton’s three seniors were recognized for their dedication and hard work. The three seniors honored were defensive specialist Paige Vargas, Krabacher and Selsky. With the momentum and excitement from the senior night, the Flyers used this as motivation to get a quick lead over their opponents.
Krabacher led the team with 18 kills and 14 digs. Turner, Campbell and sophomore middle blocker Isolde Hannan each recorded double digit kills as well. Selsky posted a double-double of her own with 47 assists and 10 digs.
Dayton won the match 25-18, 25-17, 25-21.
“I think we came out really strong this match,” Selsky told daytonflyers.com. “We have been working really hard in practice this past week to prepare for this. We gave up a couple runs in the first and second games, but in the third game we came out stronger. We took care of business.”
Krabacher said entering the final week of the regular season will provide some tough challenges that the team should be prepared for.
“Preparing for conference games is crucial these upcoming weeks,” said Krabacher. “It’s in the part of the season where teams are fighting to keep their season alive. They have to win these games to make the A-10 tournament. We know teams are going to bring their best games against us and we have to be ready for it.”
The Flyers will host the University of Cincinnati at 7 p.m., on Wednesday, Oct. 31 at the Frericks Center. This will be a non-conference match for the Flyers.
