Saint Louis University women’s volleyball succumbed to Dayton three sets to one on Saturday, Oct. 24. The away defeat in Dayton, Ohio, meant that SLU remained second in A-10 conference standings, behind only Dayton, who is perfect in the conference. SLU’s loss dropped their record on the season to 7-2 in the A-10 and 18-7 overall. Both Rhode Island and George Washington are close behind in the A-10 race with 6-3 conference records; however, both are teams that SLU has defeated earlier in the season.
SLU dropped the opening set in a close 25-22 affair, despite junior outside hitter Danielle Rygelski chipping in four kills to lead the Billikens’ attack. The Billikens then pounced in the second set with a 25-16 win in which SLU dominated both offensively and defensively. The Dayton Flyers were held to only a .062 attack percentage for the set, while the Billikens had a strong .375 team attack percentage.
The momentum, however, shifted once more after the break, as Dayton came out strong and the Billikens fell in a close 25-22 set. The set loss came despite a strong performance from both Billikens outside hitters, Rygelski and sophomore Nenye Okoro, who both posted three kills apiece. The Billikens were then unable to knot the match up at two sets, despite Rygelski’s three kills in the fourth set, and the Flyers completed their victory 25-15.
Despite the loss, senior setter Meredith Boe continued her strong season, posting 26 assists against the Flyers to bring her total up to 974 for the season. She is on pace to easily surpass the 1000 assist milestone this season, and if she reaches the 1000 assist mark, would become only the second Billiken to record three consecutive 1000 assist seasons.
Saint Louis University women’s volleyball upcoming matches could prove crucial in the battle for seeding in the A-10 conference tournament later this fall. This upcoming weekend, Saint Louis University will wrap up their regular season away schedule at Fordham, with a Halloween matchup away at Rhode Island the day after. A slipup in the Rhode Island match could allow Rhode Island, 6-3 in the A-10, to surpass SLU in the A-10 conference standings, but a win could help cement SLU’s current second seed. The Billikens currently have a record of 7-2 in the conference and 18-7 overall.
On Nov. 8 SLU will welcome currently 6-3 George Washington to Chaifetz Pavilion. If both SLU and George Washington continue their good form this season, this match could also have an effect on postseason conference tournament seeding. The 2015 A-10 volleyball conference tournament will take place at the Charles E. Smith Center in Washington, D. C., the home of the George Washington Colonials.
