DAVIDSON, N.C. – The Saint Louis University volleyball team earned a victory in the first round of the Atlantic 10 Tournament here Friday, defeating Davidson to advance to the semifinals for the first time since 2019.
 
Coming into the tournament as the fifth-seeded team, SLU took down four-seeded Davidson, 3-1. The win advances the Billikens to play top-seeded Dayton, Saturday at 12 p.m. CT.
 
SLU got off to a hot start Friday against the Wildcats, using a match-high .407 hitting percentage to take the first set, 25-18. The second set, the Billikens' offensive attack faltered, hitting .077, and dropping a 25-23 battle to the Wildcats.
 
Despite the setback, the Billikens bounced back to take set three, 25-23. In what would be the final set of the day, the teams battled, SLU hitting .298 and Davidson swinging .196. The back-and-forth affair was marked by 14 ties and eight lead changes, but it was the Billikens who came out on top, 27-25.
 
Carlie Rodgers' strong defensive play helped keep the Wildcats, who had beaten the Billikens twice earlier this season, at bay. The senior defensive specialist compiled a season-high 32 digs, two shy of her career best. 
 
On the offensive front, Kayla Richardson put down a career-best 20 kills on a .410 hitting percentage while Delaney Rice (17) and Emily Henken (12) also reached double-digit kills. As a team SLU was helped by eight service aces, with Rodgers tallying three.
 
The win moves the Billikens to the semifinals where they will play No. 1-seeded Davidson. The teams last faced off on Oct. 20-21, where the Billikens took the first set from the Flyers in 30-consecutive sets. 
 
Dayton comes into the tournament on a 24-match winning streak and are 18-0 in A-10 play. The Flyers are ranked 19th in the Nation and have only lost two matches this season – one to No. 12 Marquette and the other to No. 2 Louisville on Aug. 26 and Sept. 6, respectively.
 
Saturday's semifinal match can be watched on ESPN+ and the Live Stats can be found here.
 
First serve is set for 12 p.m. CT.