Pittsburgh, Pa. – The Duquesne University volleyball team returned to UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse on Tuesday night, falling 3-1 to nationally ranked Dayton in Atlantic 10 action. The Dukes slipped to 11-6 overall this season, including a 2-3 mark in conference play.

POINT OF EMPHASIS
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.

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. Duquesne 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. The Flyers wouldn't go away, cutting the deficit to 22-17 after bolstering a 6-2 run late in the set. 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.

CONTINUING TO FIGHT
It was a back-and-forth affair to begin the fourth stanza, registering seven ties in the set. The two teams traded the opening 19 points before a kill from freshman Emersen Schrom and an ace by Robertson gave the Dukes an 11-9 advantage. Dayton rattled off three consecutive points to regain the lead before stretching its lead with a 4-0 stint (17-13). Duquesne cut the deficit to three with a pair of kills graduate student Elizabeth Drelling and a block from Drelling and Robertson but the Flyers would end the set by scoring six of the final 10 points to take the set and the match, 25-20.

INSIDE THE STAT SHEET
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.

UP NEXT
Duquesne travels to Kingston, RI., to begin its series with Rhode Island on Saturday, Oct. 12 at 7:00 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 13 at 1:00 p.m.