Score: Duquesne 3, VCU 1 (25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 25-19)
Location: Richmond, Va. (Stuart C. Siegel Center)
Records: VCU 9-9 (3-2 A-10), Duquesne 9-9 (3-3)

• Senior Janelle Sykes and junior Kalah Jones recorded double-doubles, but it wasn't enough to stop Duquesne Sunday afternoon at the Siegel Center.
• In a rematch of the 2013 Atlantic 10 Conference Championship Match, VCU was unable to overcome a 2-0 early deficit. Duquesne outhit the Rams .257 to .162 on the day.
• Sykes hit .333 with 13 kills and 10 blocks for the Rams.
• Jones, meanwhile, spiked a match-high 17 kills and dug a 17 balls.
• Senior setter Cecilia Aragao also filled the stat sheet for VCU. The Recife, Brazil native set 45 assists with seven digs, five blocks and a pair of kills.
• Duquesne, the reigning A-10 champs received 15 kills each from Arielle Love and Liis Kullerkann. Love and Kullerkann combined for just six hitting errors Sunday on 65 attempts.

QUOTABLES FROM COACH JODY ROGERS

• "Duquesne's a great team and they really came out and executed, and we had problems with ball control. We needed that first ball to be better because then the second ball is a little better and we can convert. We've got some things to work on. The A-10 is tough and right now everybody's beating up on each other. We've just got to keep fighting and put outselves in a position to be there on that one day in November. We'll get right back to practice and work on some things tomorrow and then go play a very good Hampton team on Tuesday. It's time to get back to work."

HOW IT HAPPENED

• Duquesne hit .314 in the opening set on the way to an early lead. The Rams, on the other hand, were slow to gain traction and hit .141 in the first two frames Sunday.
• The Rams struck back with a late rally in the third set. Trailing 22-19, VCU used a 4-0 burst, punctuated by an Aragao-Sykes double block, to regain the lead. The Dukes briefly tied the set at 23-23, but back-to-back kills by Sykes and Jones secured the 25-23 VCU win.
• In the decisive fourth set, the Rams jumped to an early 7-5 advantage on the strength of three Jones kills. However, Duquesne took control with an extended 14-6 run to take a 19-13 lead VCU could not overcome.