PITTSBURGH, Pa. – Buoyed by a tough-to-crack defensive front, fifth-seeded Duquesne opened the Atlantic 10 Women's Volleyball Championship quarterfinals round with a straight-sets sweep of No. 4 Davidson, stymying the Wildcats offensive swingers to a .104 hitting percentage early Friday afternoon at UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse.

With the victory, Duquesne (13-15) moves on the A-10 Women's Volleyball Championship semifinals, squaring off against top-seeded Dayton at 1:30 p.m. ET on Saturday, Nov. 20. The contest will be broadcast live via ESPN+.

While neither the Dukes nor the Wildcats (14-13) swung particularly well throughout the match, finishing with hitting percentages of .168 and .104, respectively, Duquesne's diggers proved the difference makers en route to the win. Overall, three Dukes notched double-digit dig stats for a total 56 on the contest, outpacing Davidson by 14 in the category.

A relatively routine opening set took a sudden shift late as Davidson, then down 23-16, proceeded to roar back for seven consecutive points and a tie match. The Dukes managed to escpate disaster, however, as they picked up three of the final four points, clinching the early advantage.

The second frame saw Duquesne begin to take more control, surrendering the lead for just one rally (10-to-9) before grabbing a more commanding lead en route to closing out the 25-20 victory. Finally, the Dukes cliched the sweep in the third via another overpowering effort, fighting the Wildcats point-for-point early on before pulling away for good at the 13-11 mark.

On the final stat sheet, only one player – Duquesne senior Summer Slade – reached the double-digit kill plateau, knocking home 13 for the contest. Additionally, Dukes junior Hailey Poling earned a double-double behind a 34 assist, 10-dig performance. On Davidson's side, A-10 Co-Libero of the Year Bella Brady impressed with a match-high 16 digs while senior Hattie Rodriguez posted nine kills, five digs and a pair of blocks.