Your #19 Flyer Volleyball Team is entering the final regular season weekend with two matches on the road against St Louis. They sit at 26-1 for the season and last week locked up the Regular Season A10 Championship as well as the #1 Seed when they host the A10 Championship next weekend.

That doesn’t “just happen”. When pre-season camp started in August, the team was challenged to chip away at individual improvements and worked to gel as a well-oiled machine as a unit. Statistically, they sit as one of the best offenses in the nation and as one of the best defensive teams in the nation. But it hasn’t been clear sailing to get there. This team has exceeded the coaches’ expectations in their resiliency according to Assistant Coach Tim Balice.

“Our players have dealt with a ton of adversity and certainly have exceeded expectations as far as their ability to adjust and adapt as we have battled through injuries,” stated Balice. “Our staff thinks it speaks volumes to the work they do individually to be all-around great volleyball players when you see two or three players having to play in two or three different positions with similar results. The next woman up is ready, and the team is confident they can step in.”

On this team those individual traits, work ethic and performance results have overflowed to the team as a unit. It’s more common that a team will take a step back in efficiencies when different players have to replace a starting rotation player. This team has surprised the coaching staff in this area.

“We are becoming more consistent in our systems and understanding who we are and our identity,” Balice explained. “We are currently hovering around top 5 nationally offensively and defensively and (the coaches were) not sure we’d be this good on both sides of the ball.”

Top 5 nationally also doesn’t “just happen.” All the top programs have very gifted athletic talent. One thing that sets the great teams apart is what’s called Volleyball IQ. Balice explained what this means.

“Volleyball IQ is a player’s ability to understand and anticipate the game beyond physical skills,” he stated. “It involves reading opponents’ moves, making quick decisions, positioning effectively, and adapting to the game’s flow. Players with high volleyball IQ demonstrate strong game awareness, adjust well to teammates, and maximize each play to gain an edge, often distinguishing themselves from others on the court.”

As the team heads to SLU this weekend, the Billikens will be highly motivated to knockoff the Flyers for at least one of the two matches. They currently sit in the 6th, and final tournament spot, with a conference record of 6-10. The two teams behind them, Duquesne and George Mason, are both 4-12. They play each other this weekend. It’s highly probable UD wins both SLU matches, dropping them to 6-12. If either George Mason or Duquesne wins their two matches, they will also be 6-12 and tiebreaker rules kick in. But, if SLU can take a match off UD, they greatly improve their chances of securing the 6th spot in the Championships. They will be motivated and are unique in that they play both a one and two setter offense during a match.

“St. Louis is a team composed of experienced returning starters and a pair of high impact freshmen,” Balice shared. “They have a dynamic offense with multiple looks and weapons in every position. They are going to be a unique challenge as they can maneuver between a 6-2 and a 5-1 (offense) to keep defenses off balance.

“They have good players that can cause issues both offensively and defensively. We also think they play well at home and have a lot riding on this weekend. We are confident Saint Louis will be prepped and ready to go this weekend.”

The Flyers have built a solid At-Large Bid resume this year if they need it. But, with four matches left before the NCAA VB Committee invites teams to dance, Dayton has to continue to play well and close strong. As we have seen several times already this season, teams are all bringing their best games in a quest to knock off the high-flying Flyers. They all come ready to play at a high level against UD. It’s that time of the year where you want to see a team consistently play at their highest level. That’s our challenge.

We finished last year playing our best. We lost a rotation player the night before our first round NCAA match. It was awful for both the player and the team. But you have to wonder if that experience has contributed to this year’s high level of resiliency and volleyball IQ. We have been the A10 Championship #1 Seed many, many times over the years. This team is looking for more. It’s Go Time.