Dayton took sets one, three, and five while WKU claimed sets two and four. The Hilltoppers were led by Kaira Knox and Kate Rush. Knox logged a season high 13 kills in the effort. Rush set a new career best in kills with 11, finishing with a double-double, adding 41 assists, three aces, and three blocks.
HOW IT HAPPENED
Dayton 3, WKU 2
SET ONE - UD 25, WKU 15
Kate Rush opened up action Saturday with a service ace. The Flyers responded with a 5-0 run. Kendall Meller logged her first kill of the day for a 5-2 score. Dayton added two more to force the Hilltoppers into their first timeout. The Flyers reached 10 first by a 10-2 score. An attack error ended a 5-0 run. A McKnight kill, followed by an attack error, and capped by a Rush kill, forced Dayton into a timeout, trailing 11-6. A 4-0 run pushed the Dayton lead out to nine at the media break. Falling behind 11, Skidmore stopped the streak with a kill to bring WKU within 10. A serving error pushed WKU into double digits, still behind by 10. Knox's first kill brought WKU within 10 at 22-13. Knox fired off another kill, cutting the margin down to eight. The Flyers would tally the final two points for a 25-15 set win.
SET TWO - WKU 25, UD 19
The first six points of the frame were split as the two were tied at three all. WKU was aided by a Young kill and a pair of service errors. The Flyers jumped out to a three point lead before a McKnight kill and bad set cut the margin down to one. Dayton scratched 10 first in the second with a 10-6 lead. Skidmore logged a kill and fired off an ace to cut the deficit in half. Sonja Laaksonen's first action of the day came on a solo block, the first of the day for WKU. A couple Flyer errors resulted in a 13-11 score. McKnight fired a kill and assisted in a block to bring the Hilltoppers within one at 14-13. Knox capped off the 3-0 run to even things up. Dayton tallied two quick points and McKnight logged her sixth kill to keep WKU within one and spark a 4-0 run to take the lead back at 18-16. The Hilltoppers were first to 20 thanks to a block by Rush and Young. Another errant attack extended the WKU lead to four, their largest of the day at 21-17. The first ace for Rush gave WKU its first set point at 24-19. Knox fired off a kill to cap off set two for a 25-19 win.
SET THREE - UD 25, WKU 19
Knox picked up where she left off in the second with another kill. The Flyers jumped out to a 3-2 advantage. The 23rd Hilltopper kill, this one off the hand of Laaksonen evened things up. Rush fed McKnight for a kill to push WKU to five points with a 5-4 advantage. Rush and Skidmore logged straight kills for a two point lead. A 5-0 Flyer run forced the Hilltoppers into a timeout, trailing 12-9. Dayton added three more to push the margin to six at 15-9. Rush fired off a kill to push the Hilltoppers into double digits, down 15-10. Knox tallied her sixth kill of the day and McKnight and Skidmore stuffed a block for a 17-13 score. McKnight managed her eighth kill and Knox served up an ace to cut the margin down to three. Dayton then jumped out to a five point lead. Rush and Knox combined for back-to-back kills to cut the Flyer lead down to four and force a timeout at 23-19. The Flyers responded with consecutive points to take set three, 25-19.
SET FOUR - WKU 25, UD 18
Rush found Laaksonen for a kill to get things started in the fourth frame of action. Knox's eighth kill gave WKU a 2-1 advantage. Dayton jumped out to a 3-2 lead but WKU responded with a 3-0 run to retake the lead at 5-3. The Flyers tied things at six all before a pair of attack errors and a Rush and Young block forced the Flyers into a timeout. Out of the break Rush fired off a kill and Baron served up an ace as part of a 5-1 run for an 11-6 edge. Dayton came within two at 12-10. Rush fired off her eighth successful attack to push the lead back out to three. Knox pushed her kill total into double figures for the second consecutive match for a 16-13 Hilltopper lead. After the Flyers cut the lead to two, McKnight logged a kill and Knox served up an ace to push the margin to four. Dayton tabbed two quick points to cut the lead in half. An errant serve pushed the WKU advantage back to three. Laaksonen found Rush who slammed one down to push the Tops to 20 points. Skidmore served up consecutive aces to extend the edge to five at 22-17. Rush added with her 10th kill for a six point lead. Laaksonen logged a kill and Rush fired off an ace to force a fifth set at 25-18.
SET FIVE - UD 15, WKU 10
The two traded the first four points of the frame even at four all. Dayton jumped out to a 4-3 lead before Skidmore tallied her seventh kill to tie things up. The Flyers responded with consecutive points before they fired one into the net to cut the margin down to one. Rush followed with an emphatic block to even things up yet again, 12 points into the frame. Rush extended her kill total to 11 to even the set at seven-all. A bad serve gave Dayton a narrow 8-7 lead midway through the frame. Young evened the score at eight all with a kill. The Flyers took the next three, breaking 10 first with an 11-8 advantage, forcing the Hilltoppers into a timeout. Knox stopped a 4-0 run to cut the deficit down to three. McKnight and Skidmore followed with a block for a 12-10 set. The Flyers closed out the set on a 3-0 run to take the fifth 15-10.
QUOTABLE
On the loss, head coach Travis Hudson said "Hard fought match... We just have to be a little more consistent in highly contested matches. The margin of error is thin, and we cannot have lapses."
NOTABLES
- Kaira Knox again led the offensive effort for the Hilltoppers on Saturday. Knox finished with 13 kills, five digs, three aces, and one assist and block each.
- The 13 kills for Knox are a new season best. Knox has logged double digit kills in each of the last two matches.
- Kate Rush stuffed the stat sheet with a double-double, compiling 41 assists, 11 kills, three aces, and three blocks.
- For Rush, her 11 kills mark a career high.
- Faith Young and Eliza McKnight both tallied nine kills apiece. McKnight added a team high four blocks and a dig in the effort.
- Alivia Skidmore logged seven kills, three aces, three blocks, and a pair of digs.
- Skidmore's three aces on Saturday mark a career high for the junior from Florence, Ky. Her three blocks are a new season best.
- As a team, the Hilltoppers stuffed eight blocks on Saturday, marking a season high.
NEXT UP
The Hilltoppers open a six-match homestand with the Alyssa Cavanaugh Classic starting Thursday, Sept. 10 against Pepperdine. First serve is set for 6 p.m. CT. Tickets can be purchased HERE.
FOLLOW THE TOPS
For complete information on WKU Volleyball, follow the team on X @WKUVolleyball and head coach Travis Hudson @TravisHudsonWKU. The team is also on Instagram and Facebook.
