DAVIDSON, N.C. – In a closely-fought Atlantic 10 opener, the Duquesne Dukes (6-8, 0-1 A-10) fell to Davidson (6-8, 1-0 A-10), 3-1 (25-19, 22-25, 25-23, 27-25) on Friday night at Belk Arena.  

The match featured 36 ties and 15 lead changes, as the Dukes nearly sent the match into a fifth set.

Liz Wayne led the Dukes offense with 14 kills, connecting on kills at an impressive .522 clip. Summer Slade and Maria Mosbacher both posted 12 kills, while Morgan Kelly posted eight. Dani Suiter (28 assists) and Hailey Poling (19 assists) combined for 47 of the Dukes 51 assists on the night.

Defensively, Claire Boe recorded a match-high 22 digs, while Slade earned a double-double for a third consecutive match and seventh overall on the season with 17 digs against the Wildcats.

The Dukes are back in action on Sunday afternoon, when Duquesne meets VCU in Richmond. The contest on ESPN+ is scheduled to begin at 1:00 p.m. at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Neither team could gain separation on the scoreboard in the opening game, until the Wildcats sprinted ahead on an 8-1 run with the score tied at 12-12 to take a 20-13 advantage. The Dukes would not be able to get within four points the rest of the set, falling in the first set, 25-19.
• The Dukes put together a fast start in the second set, taking a 12-4 lead early on. Davidson got back into the set with a 13-5 run to tie the set at 17-17. Duquesne would win the next three points to force a Wildcat timeout at 20-17. Davidson would get as close as 21-20, but the Dukes would earn four of the final six points in the set to tie the match with a 25-22 set two victory.
• The third set featured 15 ties and six lead changes. With the set tied at 19-19, the Wildcats posted back-to-back points to take a 21-19 advantage to force a Duquesne timeout. The teams would trade points the rest of the way, as a Dukes' ball-handling error on set point would give the Wildcats a 2-1 lead in the match.
• The fourth set was another back-and-forth game, as the Wildcats fought back from a 2-0 deficit to take a 4-2 advantage. The Dukes would eventually take a 13-10 lead, but a 5-2 sprint would tie the match at 15-15. After a 3-0 surge gave the Dukes a 20-18 run, Davidson would tie the fourth set at 20-20. Duquesne would earn the next two points, but a 3-0 streak gave the Wildcats a 23-22 lead. The Dukes tied the match at 23-23 and earned a lead at 24-23 to reach set point, but a Wildcat kill tied the set at 24-24. A Davidson attack error gave the Dukes another set point, but three points in a row by the 'Cats gave Davidson the victory at 27-25.  
• The Dukes held a 54-53 advantage in kills, 51-50 in assists, and 68-51 in digs.