The old UD Fieldhouse, which opened in 1950 and has been renovated many times over the years, most recently in 2016, doesn’t have air conditioning in the arena.
“We want to thank every fan that came to the Frericks Center,” said Dayton head coach Tim Horsmon in a press release. “Thank you to every fan that remained patient as staff tried to make the floor playable. We wish we could have finished the match with Ohio State and think it would have been a great one, but we appreciate you for understanding that the health and safety of our student-athletes is our top priority. Most of all — thank you for being the absolute best fans in the country.”
The Flyers have often used that as an advantage. A year ago, in the same season-opening event, Dayton beat No. 24 Western Kentucky 3-0 on Friday before beating Drake 3-2 and then losing 3-2 to No. 12 Marquette.
Days before the match, coach Tim Horsmon said, “We’re hoping it’s not 94 the night before and the heat gets trapped in there.”
This time, the humidity problem couldn’t be solved. Announcers on the ESPN+ broadcast said fans were informed there would be an extended break after the second set as workers tried to dry the floor. Fans were also told during the second set not to open windows above the stands. Announcers said they were told open windows let humidity inside the building.
“It’s created a really slippery situation for the players,” said UD’s Alex Mikos, the play-by-play announcers on ESPN+.
At one point, more than 10 minutes into the extended break, more than 20 people were on the court with towels and mops trying to dry the floor. The effort ended after about 20 minutes.
The match was the last of six in the event, which started Friday. No. 22 Dayton rallied from a 2-1 deficit to beat Northern Iowa 3-2 on Friday. The Flyers beat Florida International 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.
Ohio State, which is not in the top 25 but received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association poll, beat Florida International 3-0 and Northern Iowa 3-1.
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