MATCHES 17, 18
Duquesne (11-6, 2-3) at Rhode Island (6-12, 1-4)
Saturday, October 12 | 7:00 p.m.
Keaney Gymnasium | Kingston, R.I.
Live Stats

Duquesne (11-6, 2-3) at Rhode Island (6-12, 1-4)
Sunday, October 13 | 1:00 p.m.
Keaney Gymnasium | Kingston, R.I.
Live Stats  | Live Video (ESPN+)

2024 Roster | 2024 Schedule | 2024 Statistics
 
Bump. Set. Spike.
-The Dukes hit the road for its second Atlantic 10 road series of the season when they travel to Rhode Island to battle the Rams on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m., inside Keaney Gymnasium.

- The Duquesne University volleyball team dropped its last match against No. 22 Dayton this past Tuesday, inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

- Despite falling behind 2-0 in the match, Duquesne bounced back in set three, earning a 25-22 victory. The third set win by the Dukes is the first set the Flyers have dropped in the last five contests and the first since mid-September.

- Elizabeth Drelling was the long Duke in double-figures, finishing with 10 kills and six digs while tallying a block assist. Ariel Helm, Emersen Schrom, Avery Hobson, and Jordan Robertson all finished with five kills each while Helm finished with a team-leading seven blocks and Hobson with a team-best 11 digs.

- Graduate student Grace Kristofic ended with 14 assists and nine digs while Chloe Wilmot carded 13 helpers, seven digs, and three aces on Friday. As a team, the Dukes held Dayton to its second worst hitting percentage of the season (.198) while being only the third team to register double figure blocks.

- Duquesne jumped out to a hot start, holding an early 12-5 advantage. Sophomores Avery Hobson and Jordan Robertson paced the stint, capturing a pair of kills as Hobson tallied 1.5 blocks early in the run. After a point by Dayton (15-1, 5-0 A-10), junior Ariel Helm found the floor successfully, followed by an attacking error by the Flyers and a service ace by sophomore Chloe Wilmot, gave the Dukes a 15-6 lead at the media timeout.

- The Dukes would stretch its lead 10 out of the break before Dayton rattled off a 5-1 stint to time the deficit, 17-11. Out of a Dukes timeout, Duquesne scored three consecutive points, thanks to a pair of blocks from junior Carsyn Henschen and Robertson to stretch its lead to 20-11.
- Back-to-back points by the Dukes gave them set point but the No. 22 team in the country didn't shy away, rattling off five consecutive points to trail 24-22. Helm and Hobson would seal the set for Duquesne, registering a block to end it.

- Duquesne returns home after its series with Rhode Island, welcoming Fordham on Friday, Oct. 18 at 6:00 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 19 at 2:00 p.m. The Saturday match against the Rams, the Dukes will celebrate 50 years of when the program began back in the fall of 1974.

Scouting the Rams – Rhode Island comes into the weekend winning its first conference match of the season, securing a 3-0 sweep over Fordham on Wednesday. The Rams hit a season-best .294 during the victory … The Dukes and Rams have battled 64 times in the all-time series, with Rhode Island holding a 40-24 edge in the series. The two teams have split the last six meetings as Duquesne captured a 3-1 victory in game one before the Rams took a 3-0 sweep in game two a year ago. On the defensive, Rhode Island is led by Chloe Abuto, who ranks second in the league in total blocks (84) and blocks per set (1.19). Havyn Rolle paces the Rams with 157 total kills while finding the floor successfully 2.31 times per set. Her .316 hitting percentage sits in the top 10 of the conference while collecting 65 blocks on the season.

By The Numbers – Over halfway through the season, a handful of Dukes sit in the top 10 of multiple statistical categories. Junior Ariel Helm continues to lead the league in total blocks (84) and blocks per set (1.31) while her .365 hitting percentage ranks second in the conference. Sophomore Chloe Wilmot and freshman Emersen Schrom are tied for sixth in the A-10 in service aces (23) while Schrom has tallied 181 total kills, good for tied for fourth. She also ranks fifth among league foes in total points (220) while registering 3.44 points per set. In Atlantic 10 action, sophomore Jordan Robertson has recorded 20 total rejections, ranking her sixth in the league.

The Celebration of 50 Years – This season marks the 50th anniversary of women's volleyball as it began in the fall of 1974. For the first 12 years, Duquesne played as a club team before elevating the program to the Division I level in 1986. The first coach to lead the then-Duchesses' was Duquesne alum Rob Cisney who coached the first three years of the Dukes being a Division I program. Leading up to this season, Duquesne has put together an all-time record of 700-699 (.500), a Division I record of 515-590 (.466), and an Atlantic 10 record of 208-587. The Dukes won its first-ever Division I contest at Robert Morris on September 10, 1986, with a 3-0 sweep. Duquesne won its first-ever conference contest against Rutgers, when they defeated the Scarlet Knights in straight sets.

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