No. 13 Cardinals Travel to Dayton for Exhibition
August 20, 2021 | Women's Volleyball
Flyers will be good test as the regular season looms
LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- The University of Louisville volleyball team opens its season at regional power Dayton on Saturday, Aug. 21 at 4 p.m. in Dayton's Frericks Center. Â The exhibition is free and open to the public.
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UofL volleyball fans will get a sneak preview of the 2021 season against steep competition as the Cardinals travel to Dayton to face the Flyers.
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The Flyers won the program's third-consecutive and 14th overall Atlantic 10 Championship title and advanced to its eighth appearance in the NCAA Second Round last season.
After dropping the first game of its 13-match spring 2021 season, Dayton went on to win its next 11 regular-season matches to earn hosting privileges for the the league championship, dropping Fordham and VCU in straight sets.
Dayton headed in the NCAA Tournament reduced field of 48 teams riding a 13-match winning streak led by 2020 AVCA Midwest Region and Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year junior outside hitter Jamie Peterson and senior setter Bridget Doherty, an AVCA All-Midwest Region Team honoree and A-10 Setter of the Year. While UD will be without Doherty, Peterson returns to spearhead the offense.
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UofL returns its starting six but will only have to replace the libero, Alexis Hamilton, who held down the position for two seasons before graduating. UofL has three returning All-Americans in middle blocker Anna Stevenson, ACC Setter of the Year Tori Dilfer and ACC Freshman of the Year Anna DeBeer as well as Amaya Tillman, who was ACC Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-ACC performer Aiko Jones as the starting core. Â
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"We need to get some big wins in the preseason, so we need to start off and everyone knows the drills and expectations, it makes it a lot easier to progress and get in better shape and everything that comes along with it.  Without our leadership, I don't think we would be in this position. Our players did a great job of taking summer seriously and making sure we were ready to go," said Coach Dani Busboom Kelly.
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UofL volleyball fans will get a sneak preview of the 2021 season against steep competition as the Cardinals travel to Dayton to face the Flyers.
Â
The Flyers won the program's third-consecutive and 14th overall Atlantic 10 Championship title and advanced to its eighth appearance in the NCAA Second Round last season.
After dropping the first game of its 13-match spring 2021 season, Dayton went on to win its next 11 regular-season matches to earn hosting privileges for the the league championship, dropping Fordham and VCU in straight sets.
Dayton headed in the NCAA Tournament reduced field of 48 teams riding a 13-match winning streak led by 2020 AVCA Midwest Region and Atlantic 10 Conference Player of the Year junior outside hitter Jamie Peterson and senior setter Bridget Doherty, an AVCA All-Midwest Region Team honoree and A-10 Setter of the Year. While UD will be without Doherty, Peterson returns to spearhead the offense.
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UofL returns its starting six but will only have to replace the libero, Alexis Hamilton, who held down the position for two seasons before graduating. UofL has three returning All-Americans in middle blocker Anna Stevenson, ACC Setter of the Year Tori Dilfer and ACC Freshman of the Year Anna DeBeer as well as Amaya Tillman, who was ACC Defensive Player of the Year as well as All-ACC performer Aiko Jones as the starting core. Â
Â
"We need to get some big wins in the preseason, so we need to start off and everyone knows the drills and expectations, it makes it a lot easier to progress and get in better shape and everything that comes along with it.  Without our leadership, I don't think we would be in this position. Our players did a great job of taking summer seriously and making sure we were ready to go," said Coach Dani Busboom Kelly.
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Players Mentioned
OH
/ Women's Volleyball
S
/ Women's Volleyball
L/DS
/ Women's Volleyball
OPP
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
/ Women's Volleyball
MB
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