Dayton Rallies Past Falcons In Season Opener

Friday, August 29

Bowling Green, Ohio

5 PM

Bowling Green State University

0-1

Dayton

1-0

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Dayton	21	25	25	25	3
Bowling Green	25	18	18	23	1

August 29, 2014 | Volleyball

Box Score

By: by Jason Knavel, Assistant Athletic Director for Athletic Communications

Boxscore
Photo Gallery

Bowling Green, Ohio – The Bowling Green State University volleyball team showcased a bit of its future potential Friday night but the Falcons were unable turn their youthful exuberance into a win Friday night in the team's season opener. After posting a 25-21 victory in the opening set, Bowling Green was unable to sustain the lead and the Flyers won the next three sets 25-18, 25-18, 25-23.

Freshman Nicole Slimko posted a team-high 19 kills, including eight in the first set. She added nine digs and two aces. Sophomore Madeline Garda added a match-high 22 digs and sophomore Jelena Sunjic had 10 kills, four digs and two blocks. Another sophomore, Alyssa Maloney, finished with six kills and three blocks.

BGSU appeared to have the jitters early and fell behind 6-2 in the first set. But Slimko came alive with three kills during a 6-2 run that tied the score. Neither team was able to gain control until the Falcons scored three straight on the strength of a Slimko block and ace to go ahead 21-18. Still leading 23-21, the Falcons picked up a kill from Maloney and then finished off the frame on a Dayton ball handling error.

Dayton evened it up and eventually took the lead by taking both the second and third sets by identical 25-18 scores. In the second, Dayton used a 5-1 spurt to take a 15-10 lead and Bowling Green was unable to get closer than four points the rest of the way.

The Flyers slowly built a lead midway through the third set, going ahead by as many as eight points and holding on for the 25-18 win.

BGSU led for much of the fourth set and freshman Katie Scholten had back-to-back aces that gave the Falcons a 13-10 advantage. The Falcons still led 22-20 but Dayton scored four in a row to push ahead. After a Kelsey Bates kill made it 24-23, the Flyers got a kill to close out the match.

For the match, Bowling Green held a 56-50 advantage in digs and posted eight service aces. Dayton, though, hit .243 and had 10.0 blocks. The Falcons hit just .164 but did get solid production from their two seniors. Kelsey Bates ended with eight kills and seven digs, while Erica Fullenkamp ended with 40 assists, five digs and two aces.

With the win, Dayton improves to 1-0 on the season. Bowling Green falls to 0-1 and will return to the Stroh Center for two matches Saturday. The Falcons will face Middle Tennessee State at noon and Pittsburgh at 7:30 pm.