RICHMOND, Va. – On Sunday, the Duquesne volleyball team (6-9, 0-2 A10) fell to first-place VCU (11-5, 2-0 A10), 3-0 (25-13, 25-21, 25-20), at the Stuart C. Siegel Center.

Summer Slade led the offense with nine kills on the day, while Morgan Kelly recorded eight kills and Liz Wayne added six. Dani Suiter dished 17 assists, while Hailey Poling posted a double-double with 13 assists and 11 digs. Claire Boe also registered 11 digs for the Dukes.  

The Dukes are back in action next weekend, hosting George Washington (Fri., 7:00 p.m.) and George Mason (Sun., 1:00 p.m.) at Mt. Lebanon High School.

HOW IT HAPPENED

• The Rams got off to a hot start in the first set, as VCU earned eight consecutive points with the score at 14-8 to take a 21-8 advantage. The two teams would trade points, but a Rams' kill on set-point gave the Rams a 1-0 lead.
• The second set featured five tied scores and five lead changes, as VCU gained a little bit of separation at 21-17. The Dukes could cut the deficit to 21-19, but the Rams would score two consecutive points on a Duquesne service error and a kill.  The Dukes got to within three at 23-20, but the Rams would eventually take the set at 25-21.  
• The Rams began the third set with a 7-3 run, before Duquesne countered with a 3-1 sprint to slice the deficit to 8-6. VCU would take a 14-8 lead in the set, but the Dukes posted a 6-1 run to get within a point of the Rams at 15-14. VCU retaliated with a 4-0 sprint, taking a 19-14 advantage. The Dukes would cut the deficit to three at 23-20 after back to back aces from Ashley Larson, but VCU earned the final two points of the match for the victory.