Volleyball Sweeps Opening Weekend

September 2, 2023

IRVING, Texas – The University of Dallas women's volleyball team kicked off their season in spectacular fashion, winning four consecutive matches during their opening weekend.

The Crusaders defeated local opponents, Arlington Baptist, in straight sets (25-16, 25-19, 25-21) to get their season underway on Friday night.

Dallas displayed an impressive all-around performance, with a notable offensive presence from Isabel McKamey and Cassie Dyoub. McKamey recorded 14 kills, hitting an outstanding .632, while Dyoub contributed 14 kills as well, hitting .345. Ava Alvarado ran the show, tallying 43 assists during the match.

On the defensive end, Mychael Singleton led the way with 17 digs, while Alexa Swaller added 12 digs to her six kills.  Sydney Love grabbed the only block of the match for Dallas, a solo effort.

Arlington Baptist fought hard but struggled to find their rhythm, hitting .185 as a team.  Dallas hit .263 as a team with 47 kills and 16 errors.

Game two on the night saw them comfortably defeat Paul Quinn College in straight sets (25-20, 25-14, 25-19) to make it a perfect 2-0 record on opening day.

Dallas delivered an outstanding performance with a remarkable hitting percentage of .306 compared to Paul Quinn's .144.  They committed just seven attack errors throughout the match while notching 40 kills, led by Singleton, who recorded an impressive 12 kills, and Dyoub, who added 8 kills. Johnson and McKamey contributed significantly with 4 and 7 kills, respectively.

On the defensive front, Alvarado paired her 30 assists with a match-leading 14 digs, while Devin Henry made her presence felt with nine digs. Additionally, the team's blocking game was more prominent in this match, as they tallied eight total blocks against the Tigers.

In game three on Saturday, the Crusaders delivered a commanding performance against Lyon College (AR), securing victory in straight sets with scores of 25-11, 25-15, and 26-24. 

The first set set the tone for the match, with UD showcasing their dominance, boasting a .500 hitting percentage with 15 kills on just two errors. Dyoub continued to lead the offensive charge with 13 kills, while McKamey, Singleton, and Johnson all maintained their significant contributions on the offensive side.  Alvarado racked up another 33 assists, and Swaller led all players with 12 digs.

While Lyon College fought back in the third set, Dallas ultimately prevailed, closing out the match 26-24.

The thrills were saved for the final game of the weekend, as the Crusaders fought back from a 2-0 deficit to defeat the Lobos of Sul Ross in a dramatic five-set match.

The Lobos were far and away the better side in the first set.  Despite the Crusaders putting up a fight in the latter stages, Sul Ross were firmly in control, hitting .333 with 15 kills on just two errors.  Set two was a much tighter battle, with Sul Ross just edging past Dallas at 25-23, but the Crusaders were still yet to play their best volleyball.

Though set three started off as a tense back and forth battle, Dallas dominated the second half of the set.  After the set was tied at 6-6, Dallas outscored Sul Ross 19-8 the rest of the way, hitting an 11-4 run at their peak in the middle of the set.

Dallas jumped out to an early lead again, taking a 6-1 lead in set four, but the Lobos fought tooth and nail to come all the way back and take a 19-17 lead.  The Crusaders tied it up at 20-20, and from there it was anyone's game, with Dallas ultimately prevailing 25-23 to force a decisive fifth set.

The Crusaders took a 4-3 lead in set five and never surrendered it, pulling away to beat the Lobos 15-8.  Dallas hit .200 with seven kills and two errors and completely shut down Sul Ross' attack with six total blocks in the set.

With four wins to open the season, it is the first time Dallas has gotten off to a 4-0 start since the 2010 season.

Up Next

The Crusaders will be on the road for the next two weeks.  Next on the schedule is an away match at Dallas Christian, scheduled for Sept. 6 at 7:00 pm.