Flyers find their groove in A-10 play
By: Meaghan Mcnichol – Staff Writer
The Dayton volleyball team is on a hot streak with the Flyers riding a 13-game winning streak and an overall record of 15-5, including 8-0 in Atlantic 10 play.
The Flyers have not lost a game since Sept. 11, when they fell to Baylor in the first game of the Dayton Invitational.
Ever since the Flyer Invitational on Sept.18 and 19, the team has played a consistent game that has resulted in immense success.
“We are getting on a roll,” senior outside hitter Jill Loiars said. “Last year we were the underdog and we were coming behind from the year before. This year we have to work on keeping [on] that roll because people know who we are now and people are afraid, so we need to keep them afraid.”
After the invitational, the Flyers continued their streak in Pittsburgh against Duquesne. In their first A-10 match of the season, the Flyers took down the Dukes three sets to one.
Next, the team swept La Salle and Fordham, improving its A-10 record to 3-0.
In their 14th-consecutive sweep of La Salle, both senior Alaina Turner and sophomore Amber Erhahon reached double-digit kills. Sophomores Jane Emmenecker and Jessica Sloan each led the team with eight digs.
Success carried over the following weekend against Fordham.
Senior Jenna Jendryk was on fire, swinging at .750 percent and recording six kills in eight attempts. Turner also had a great game with 11 kills, four digs and two service aces.
On Oct. 4, the Flyers struggled to defeat Rhode Island but pulled off a win in the end, advancing them to 4-0 in A-10 play.
“It took us a while to figure Rhode Island out,” Loiars said. “They were very good defensively and every shot we were putting over the net they were picking up. It was really hard to earn points that way so we had to find a way to win.”
Despite obstacles, the Flyers produced an effective game. Turner recorded a season-high 28 kills and got her eighth double-double of the season, adding 10 digs.
Jendryk contributed to the success with 12 kills throughout the match.
“If we weren’t hitting the right shots, we were blocking more or serving more aggressive or passing was on point. Everything else made up for not getting kills,” Loiars said.
The team polished off their 13-game winning streak with three sweeps in a row against George Mason, George Washington and Davidson, and then a 3-1 win over VCU on Sunday.
Erhahon contributed to the team’s 13th consecutive win with a career-high 15 kills and a match-high three blocks for the Flyers. Emmenecker was another essential part of this game with 50 assists and six digs.
The Flyers hope to remain in control during the last month and a half of their season.
“We’re really working on starting off strong, keeping the middle part of our game strong and ending strong as well,” Sloan said. “There are often times when we don’t start off as strong as we’d like but then pick it up at the end because we know we need to.”
The Flyers will look to continue their streak Wednesday night in Cincinnati against longtime rival Xavier.