#UDVB Travels to VCU For First A-10 Roadtrip – University of Dayton Athletics

DAYTON – The No. 23-ranked University of Dayton volleyball team travels for its first Atlantic 10 road trip of the season this weekend, heading to Richmond, Va. to take on VCU in a pair of conference matches at the Siegel Center.

The Flyers and Rams play Friday, Oct. 4 at 6 p.m. and turn around to play Saturday, Oct. 5 at 1 p.m. Both matches will be broadcast on ESPN+.

 

Streaking!

Dayton has won 22 consecutive regular-season Atlantic 10 matches dating back to the 2022 campaign after opening the 2024 conference campaign with a pair of sweeps over Rhode Island.

 

The weekend sweep of URI also made it nine straight regular season conference sweeps for UD, dating back to Oct. 21 of last season.

 

Kaminski Tabbed A-10 Defensive Player of the Week

Junior Karissa Kaminski took home UD’s first Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week on Monday after a 2-0 start to A-10 play.

 

Kaminski had a spectacular weekend leading the Dayton defense, putting up 19 and 12 digs in the Flyers’ two victories over Rhode Island. The Howards Grove, Wis. native averaged 5.17 digs per set, while also adding eight assists. Kaminski has now had double-digit digs in six consecutive matches.

 

UD in the AVCA Polls – Movin’ on up

The Flyers have been ranked in every American Volleyball Coaches Assocation (AVCA) poll of the 2024 season, coming in at No. 23 in the most recent rankings. Dayton was at No. 24 for three consecutive weeks after opening 2024 at No. 22.

 

UD has been ranked in the AVCA Weekly Poll for 18 consecutive weeks dating back to the 2023 campaign. The only longer streak in program history came in the 2009, 2010 and 2011 seasons when the Flyers went 21 straight weeks in the Top 25.

 

Almodovar Chases History

Redshirt senior Lexie Almodovar has 1,663 kills in her career, trailing Dayton Hall of Famer and all-time UDVB kill leader Faye Barhorst by 133 kills. Almodovar currently sits in third in program history after passing Cathy Wojciechowski (1,645; 1990-93) last weekend, and is only behind Barhorst (1,796; 2003-06) and Carrie Cordonnier (1,679; 1987-90).

 

Miller Time!

Senior Alyssa Miller has not only been the best setter in the A-10 this season, averaging a league-best 11.29 per set, but she’s also No. 4 in all of the NCAA.

 

After leading the conference by averaging over 10 assists per set last season, the Overland Park, Kan. native has continued to improve in her final year as a Flyer. She’s running an offense that is hitting .301 this season, which leads the A-10 and is seventh in the nation, and has a kills per set mark of 14.18, tops in the conference and 11th nationally.

 

Sarkissian Continues to Shine

After her first career Atlantic 10 Player of the Week (Sept. 16), junior middle blocker Liana Sarkissian has continued her run as the A-10’s top MB.

 

Sarkissian leads the A-10 and is 14th nationally in hitting percentage this season (.449), is second on the team in kills (2.93) and points (3.66) per set, and ranks third for UD in blocks per set (0.98).

 

Closing in on 400

Dayton head coach Tim Horsmon, now in his 16th season as the Flyers’ coach (2003-08; 2014-Present), sits just 13 wins away from 400 in his career at UD.

 

Horsmon, who is already the all-time winningest Dayton coach, has a 387-108 record while at the helm of the Flyers for an all-time winning percentage of .782. For his total 25-year career, Horsmon has a 563-272 record.

 

Scouting VCU

VCU is 4-6 in the 2024 campaign and comes into the weekend riding a modest three-match winning streak, including two road wins over George Mason on the A-10’s opening weekend.

 

Junior opposite Julia Rienks, playing in her first season for the Rams, leads VCU with 3.34 kills per set and tops the team with a 4.04 points per set mark. Her k/s mark ranks sixth in the A-10, while her pts/s average is third.

 

Freshman setter Cansin Sendir has been running the offense over the Rams’ three-match winning streak and is averaging 8.90 ast/set this season.

 

Dayton has won three straight over the Rams, and won both matches last season in straight sets.

 

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