Flyers Down Rams

Box Score

BRONX, N.Y.- Welcoming the team that's won eight of the last ten conference titles to your home gym in never an easy task, and the Dayton Flyers looked every bit as good as last year's NCAA Tournament team on Friday night. 
 
Fordham dropped a decision to the Flyers in straight sets in the Rose Hill Gym, falling to 8-12 overall, 1-3 in the conference.  Dayton improved to 8-9 with the win, 2-3 in the Atlantic 10.
 
Brianna O'Neil led the way for the Rams with 11 kills on the evening, while seniors Emily Atwood and Maria Rodenberg paced Fordham defensively with 16 digs apiece.  Lisa Hipp also finished in double figure kills for the Rams, registering ten.
 
Fordham came out firing to start the first set, jumping out to a 5-1 lead after two kills apiece from HIpp and Brennan Delsing.  Dayton then quickly worked its way back into the set, using a 5-0 run to take a 6-5 lead.  The two teams battled before the Rams used some momentum to take a 14-10 lead, forcing a Dayton timeout.  The Flyers eventually worked the score even at 16 following the stoppage and the two teams traded points the rest of the way before Dayton moved ahead 24-22 to make it set point.  Fordham notched a point to move within one, but Dayton closed it out on the following possession, 25-23.
 
While set one saw Fordham move ahead early, the Flyers took control early in the second, taking a 5-1 lead.  Just like Dayton did in the first set, however, Fordham evened up the score and eventually jumped ahead.  Down 12-9, Dayton called its first timeout of the set, and the Flyers had trouble closing the gap until late in the set when they jumped ahead 23-22 on an Isolde Hannan kill.  Fordham hung tough, but Dayton eventually took the second set 28-26.
 
The Rams and Flyers played the first few points of the third set evenly, with an O'Neil kill knotting the score at five.  Fordham moved ahead 10-8 on another O'Neill kill, forcing a Dayton timeout.  Coming out of the stoppage, the Flyers rattled of a 6-1 run, taking the lead at 14-11 midway through the set.  Dayton would never relinquish that lead, winning the set 25-19 and sweeping the match.
 
The Rams will be back in action this coming Sunday, when they travel to Saint Louis for a 2 PM match against the Billikens.