All Time NCAA Record

UD tied on all time NCAA record last week when they had a 100% sideout percentage for an entire match. This means that the Flyers won every single point when La Salle served. This is reallllllyyyyy hard to do because it meant that nobody made a critical mistake when returning serve. Every pass could be handled, every set was good enough to get over the net and the hitters terminated or at least put the ball over the net. La Salle might not be a top 20 team at this time but this is very difficult to accomplish. Kudos to the entire team. When I asked Kelly about this accomplishment here is what he had to say:
　
"I've never coached it, and I've never seen it for an entire match. I don't care who you are playing, that is pretty ridiculous. We could work on Serve Receive in practice for an hour, with nobody on the other side of the net, and probably side-out at about 85%. Is that the equivalent to throwing a perfect game? Whatever the analogy, it impressed me, and that's not an easy thing to do".

For the season (excluding the missing pepperdine stat) the Flyers are siding out at about 80% which is very very good. They have improved in every phase of the game which was expected. It would be nice to replay a couple of those earlier matches but this team will probably be peaking at the end of the season. When asked about how he feels about this team Kelly responsed:

"I love the development of this team. Every week they have gotten better, which I think we all knew they probably would as they got some experience under their belts. We are also starting to get a little healthier which means we can practice. We've been able to put together a couple of weeks of solid practices and that is helping big-time. We went two weeks without being able to practice the way that I wanted to because of our health and playing so many long and physical sets on the weekends. I think the players are excited because they are seeing tangible ways that they are getting better".

This is a big weekend coming up for those of you who aren't aware. The Flyers play two teams that are challengers to win the A10 this year. The Flyers will play St Louis on Friday night at 7pm in the Frerick's Center. This is a red out game, please wear some RED Flyer attire for this match. I'm sure that JohnR will be happy about this.

I specifically asked Kelly about the upcoming match against St Louis because of the rivalry and here is what he had to say:
　
"SLU returns 7 of their rotation players from a year ago. They have a new coaching staff and a new setter. The first couple of weeks it looked like they were trying to figure some things out - where best to put people and the system and style which they were going to play. I've watched a lot of video on them and it's clear that they are getting better every week. The new setter probably isn't as crafty as the one that transferred, but this one probably locates the ball a little better. It seems to be a wash. SLU is putting in a system that is very similar to the one we have - especially defensively. I like what they are doing. They seem to still be as feisty and boisterous as they have ever been"

One thing to watch for is that St Louis has lost the first set nine times out of twelve. And they have lost the third set eight times out of twelve. They are 6 - 6 but this is a rivalry game, I expect them to compete very well.

The match on Saturday is huge against Duquesne but this shapes up as an important weekend for all four teams playing each other, UD, Xavier, St Louis and Duquesne. Kelly had some great thoughts on the weekend below:

"Should be an awesome weekend. If this were college football or basketball, the media would have some nifty name for this weekend's matches. After a month and a half, there seems to be four teams that look like they are trying to separate themselves. All four of those teams are playing each other this weekend, so we might have a better idea of where things stack up after this weekend. Saturday is the only time we will play Duquesne in the regular season. They also only play Xavier and SLU once this season, so Saturday's match could, when all is said and done, be huge towards seeding in the conference tournament or towards winning a regular season championship."

There is a chalk talk tonight at 6:30 before the match. Kelly does a great job at these and unless I have more car problems I will be there.

Hope to see some of you at the match tonight!

	Xavier XAVIER MUSKETEERS Dayton's biggest rival dating back to the early 1900s. Founded in 1831, Xavier University is a Jesuit, Catholic university in Cincinnati, Ohio. Its three colleges offer 78 undergraduate majors, 43 minors and 11 graduate programs to 6,646 total students, including 3,961 undergraduates. The University is the sixth-oldest Catholic university in the nation and one of 28 Jesuit colleges and universities nationwide. Xavier's nickname is the Musketeers and are fellow A10 Conference members.

	Duquesne DUQUESNE Duquesne University is a private, coeducational university, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania located on 48 secluded acres, on a bluff above downtown. Founded in 1878 as a Catholic college by the Order of the Holy Spirit. It is the only Spiritan institution of higher education in the world. Duquesne offers 10 schools of study and 100 degree programs to 6,000 undergraduates and 3,800 graduate students. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Dukes.

	LaSalle LA SALLE In 1863, La Salle University was established through the legacy of St. John Baptist de La Salle and the Christian Brothers teaching order, which De La Salle founded 300 years ago. Located in Philadelphia, La Salle is an educational community shaped by traditional Catholic and Lasallian values. La Salle's main campus is an ideal place for students to pursue an education. The 130-acre park-like setting includes 54 buildings and is located approximately six miles from Center City Philadelphia. The University can accommodate 2,114 resident students in its 12 residence halls, two apartment complexes, and 75 townhouses. Fellow members of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Explorers. Notable athletes include Tom Gola and Lionel Simmons.

	Saint Louis SAINT LOUIS Saint Louis University is a Jesuit, Catholic university ranked among the top research institutions in the nation. The University fosters the intellectual and character development of more than 12,700 students. Founded in 1818, it is the oldest university west of the Mississippi and the second oldest Jesuit university in the United States. Located in St. Louis, MO, and just five minutes from the Gateway Arch, SLU offers 85 undergraduate programs and over 50 graduate study tracks. Over 99% of the SLU faculty hold the highest degree in their respective fields. Fellow member of the A10 Conference. Nickname is the Billikens, but also commonly known as "Sloo", the phonetic pronunciation of the school's initials. Athletic claims to fame include multiple national titles in men's soccer and men's basketball star Larry Hughes.