Scouting Report: VCU vs Dayton

The VCU women’s volleyball will face off against the University of Dayton Flyers on Oct. 4 at the Siegel Center.

VCU

Jenny Allen, Contributing Writer

Anja Kujundzic – Second-year libero Anja Kujundzic will make it tough for Dayton to take home a victory against VCU. Last season, Kujundzic was named second-team All-Atlantic 10 Conference and All-Rookie Team selection, according to VCU Athletics. Kujundzic set the records for most total digs and digs per set by a first-year, according to VCU Athletics. She ranks seventh in VCU’s single-season history for holding 570 total digs and has a team-high of 35 aces, according to VCU Athletics. Kujundzic’s ability to both score and defend points will create a difficult match-up for Dayton. 

Michael Aghomo, Contributing Writer

Jasmine Knight – VCU’s powerhouse middle Jasmine Knight has returned as a graduate student for the Rams and is picking right up from where she left off. She was named to the A-10 All-Rookie Team, two-time A-10 Conference First Team and reached 1000 total kills in the season opener against Arizona on Aug. 31, according to VCU Athletics. The six-foot middle blocker has been an imposing presence at the net both defensively and offensively, with a hitting percentage of .316 and averaging 4 blocks per match in her career, according to VCU Athletics. So far this season, she’s kept up her impressive performance with a high hitting percentage of .358 and 3.4 blocks per match, according to VCU Athletics. If the Rams hope to take down Dayton, they’ll need to take advantage of Knight’s dominance to hold off Dayton at the net and score points.

University of Dayton

Marcus Leary, Contributing Writer

Lexie Almodovar – The redshirt fourth-year outside hitter is an offensive weapon for the Flyers. Almodovar is coming off a season where she was named A-10 Volleyball Player of the Year, according to Dayton Athletics. Almodovar leads the Flyers in kills this year, tallying 179 kills through 11 games, with a season-high of 28 kills against The University of South Florida, according to Dayton Athletics. She leads the Atlantic-10 conference in kills per set, with 4.59, according to the A-10. Almodovar also leads the A-10 in points with 201, according to the A-10. She is also a threat on defense with 98 total digs on the year, according to Dayton Athletics. Almodovar’s ability to play the whole court is going to make it a challenging day for the Rams.

Ethan York, Contributing Writer

Alyssa Miller – The fourth-year setter is an important part of the Flyers team, especially for their upcoming game against VCU. Miller has already recorded impressive stats for the 2024 season. In their win against the University of Northern Iowa on Aug. 30, she recorded eight kills, according to Dayton Athletics. Miller was also voted onto the A-10 All-Conference Second Team in the 2023 season, according to Dayton Athletics. During her third year, she also recorded a season-high of 54 assists in Dayton’s win against Ohio University, according to Dayton Athletics. Miller is clearly an important asset to Dayton’s team as she has a lot of experience playing and performs well. She will be an integral part of their game plan if they want to defeat VCU.