Flyers volleyball dips to 2-3 after back-to-back losses to No. 2 Wisconsin

The Flyers volleyball team huddles up during their match against No. 3 Kentucky on Aug. 27. Photo courtesy of Erik Schelkun.

Peter Burtnett | Sports Editor

Less than one week after hosting No. 3 Kentucky, the Flyers volleyball team faced No. 2 Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., for a pair of games that resulted in two sweeps for the Badgers.

In the first match, the Badgers commanded the first two sets (25-13, 25-19), but the Flyers made a serious push to stay alive in the third set (25-23). Senior Jamie Peterson and redshirt freshman Lexie Almodovar combined for 21 kills, and senior Maura Collins got 10 digs. Sophomore Livie Sandt added 5 digs and 22 assists, while redshirt freshman Alayna Yates had a match-high 4 blocks.

The second match went much the same, with Wisconsin dominating the first two sets (25-14, 25-16), and Dayton sticking around late into the third set (25-20). Peterson and Almodovar combined for 20 kills, while Collins was tied for the match lead with 13 digs.

With the loss, the Flyers end their intense gauntlet against two top-3 teams to start the season, with their next matches in the Flyer-Raider Invitational: Wright State (Sept. 10 at the Frericks Center at 7 p.m.), Illinois State (Sept. 11 at Mclin Gymnasium in Fairborn, Ohio, at Noon) and Central Michigan (Sept. 11 at 7 p.m.).

The Flyers’ non-conference slate wraps up the following weekend in the Michigan Invitational, with games against Boston College (Sept. 17 at 10 a.m.), Eastern Michigan (Sept. 17 at 5 p.m.) and No. 23 Michigan (Sept. 18 at 4 p.m.).