Box Score
La Salle vs. Dayton Box (PDF)
 
DAYTON – The Explorers took to the road on Friday evening, dropping a match to Dayton in straight sets (11-25, 7-25, 11-25). Junior middle hitter Jennifer Whelan collected a team high 5 kills (.065), while adding 3 digs. Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Perillo added 4 kills (.037) and 7 digs. Junior setter Rachel Melich amassed 20 assists and two service aces.
 
The Blue & Gold hoped to serve Dayton some revenge on the Flyers home floor Friday evening. However, it was the Flyers serve that constantly tormented the Explorers on this evening. Dayton racked up 14 service aces, while out-killing the Explorers 37-to-20 in the lopsided contest.
 
The Explorer offense had trouble getting started against the imposing Flyer defense. The match began with Rachel Melich getting the ball rolling in the right direction, scoring a service ace, one of two that she collected in the match. Unfortunately for the Explorers, it did not prove to be a good omen. After the teams traded the first four points, Dayton strung together a 9-1 run to blow the first set open at 11-3. While the Blue & Gold rallied to score three of the next four points, a subsequent a 6-2 run by Dayton stretched the deficit to ten at 18-8. The spread proved too much for the Explorers to bridge, as they dropped the opening set 11-25.
 
The second set was one of the Explorers most difficult sets of the season. After splitting the first two points, the Explorers dug an early four-point hole at 2-6. While they twice cut the deficit, the Flyers maintained the four-point spread into the 1/3 mark of the set, as the Explorers trailed 4-8. The Blue & Gold could only muster another three points in the set, as the Flyers strung together two big runs. A 9-1 run by the Flyers extended the Explorer deficit to thirteen at 5-18. The Explorers dropped the swing set 7-25.
 
With a tough uphill battle to get back in the match, the Explorers battled hard through the early going of the third set, trailing by a single point 7-8 at the sets first benchmark. However, the Flyers were poised to make another set changing run. Dayton took the next five points to push the Explorer deficit to six at 7-13. While the Blue & Gold tried to keep their comeback hopes alive, the spread proved too much, as the Explorers dropped the decisive set 11-25.
 
Junior middle hitter Jennifer Whelan marked a team high 5 kills, the third time this season she's paced the Explorers attack.
 
Sophomore outside hitter Kelly Perillo added 4 kills and a co-team leading 7 digs.
 
Junior setter Rachel Melich collected all 20 of the Explorers assists, the first time she has eclipsed 20+ assists in a conference match this season. She also added two service aces to gain sole possession of the team lead at 22 for the season.
 
The Explorers (1-28; 0-11 A-10) return to action Sunday afternoon, as they take on the Duquesne Dukes at 1:00pm at A.J. Palumbo Center in Pittsburgh, Pa.