Score: Dayton 3, VCU 1 (25-23, 38-36, 23-25, 26-24)
Location: Dayton, Ohio (Frericks Center)
Records: VCU 8-10 (4-2 Atlantic 10), Dayton 11-5 (5-0)
 
The short story: Sophomore middle blocker Jasmine Knight supplied 14 kills and three blocks for VCU, but timely rallies by Dayton at critical junctures provided the Flyers with the win Thursday night.
 
OPENING VOLLEY

• Knight committed just two errors in 25 attempts and hit .480 on the evening for the Black and Gold
• Junior outside hitter Qairo Bentley recorded a team-high 18 kills, as well as nine digs, for the Rams
• Graduate transfer Jovana Vukcevic enjoyed her best match in a VCU uniform with 11 kills and two blocks, while hitting .273
• Jamie Peterson led all players with 20 kills and 14 digs for Dayton

THE DIFFERENCE

• The match swung on a couple of points in the second and fourth sets. The second frame was a 38-36 epic that saw the teams fight off 13 different set points before the Flyers prevailed. Dayton eventually survived when Peterson registered a kill, then teamed with Alayna Yates on a double block to give Dayton the final two points
• The fourth set saw Dayton rally from a 10-5 deficit to eventually build a 23-21 lead. But back-to-back kills by Bentley and freshman outside hitter Parker Hartzell for VCU tied the frame at 23-all. Junior middle Sabria Cooper knotted the set at 24-24 for VCU with her sixth kill of the night a short time later, but Peterson answered again with a kill and a block in the match's final two points
• Dayton outhit the Rams .250 to .199 and owned a 12-7 advantage in blocks

NOTABLE

• Dayton and VCU have met in the past four A-10 Championship Matches
• The Rams are 5-5 against the Flyers since 2017, which is more wins against Dayton than the rest of the A-10 combined over that period
• Thursday's second set was VCU's highest scoring frame since the NCAA adopted the 25-point format in 2008

NEXT UP
VCU will take on Duquesne on Saturday, Oct. 9 at 5 p.m. in Pittsburgh, Pa.