Noblesville’s Lexie Almodovar named A-10 Conference Player of the Year
By RICHIE HALL
The University of Dayton women’s volleyball team was on its way to the Atlantic 10 Conference tournament when one of the Flyers’ star players got some good news.
Lexie Almodovar, a Noblesville graduate, had been named the conference’s Player of the Year. The Dayton team was soon on a plane to Davidson College to play in the tournament, and the Flyers celebrated by winning the tournament.
“My coach told me at the airport,” said Almodovar. “I was really happy. It’s something that I’ve worked towards during my time at Dayton. It’s something that I wanted to accomplish, so I’m pretty happy.”
Almodovar received another important honor two weeks ago by being named to the 2023 American Volleyball Coaches Association Division I All-America Honorable Mention team. She had already been named the AVCA Midwest Region Player of the Year and became the 18th Flyer to be named as an All-American.
“It was crazy,” said Almodovar. “I definitely didn’t really expect that, but that’s something I’ve been working towards, so I was very happy. My team worked really hard this season to win a lot of matches. I look at that as more of a team thing for all of us.”
Almodovar finished her redshirt junior season with incredible numbers. She hit 526 kills for the Flyers, including a season-high 32 during a five-set match with Marquette early in the season. Almodovar is listed as an outside hitter/libero and was able to switch between the two well, averaging 2.61 digs per set for a season total of 313.
The Flyers had a sensational 2023 season, compiling a record of 32-3, including a perfect 18-0 mark in the conference. The success represented a big leap for the Flyers, who were 20-14 for the 2022 season.
“This year was about bouncing back and wiping the slate clean,” said Almodovar. “I think we played with a fearless mentality. We felt like we didn’t have anything to lose after last year. We’re going to go out and do it together.”
The Flyers glided into Belk Arena in Davidson, N.C. as the top seed at the A-10 tournament. Dayton won two four-set matches to claim the conference title, topping Saint Louis in the semifinals and beating Loyola Chicago in the championship, avenging a finals loss from 2022.
“I was just so relieved,” said Almodovar. “I’m pretty sure I just dropped to the floor.” She called the feeling of victory “overwhelming,” saying that the team had been working since the off-season last summer to get back to the championship.
“I just felt very happy and very relieved that my teammates got to experience that and we got to show why we belong in the NCAA tournament as well,” said Almodovar.
The Flyers finished their Atlantic 10 conference season with a perfect 18-0 record. (Photo provided)
As a conference champion, Dayton received one of the 32 automatic bids into the tournament. The Flyers were ranked No. 19 in the nation going into the tournament; they had been ranked as high as 16th during the season.
Dayton played two matches at Washington State, first taking on Pepperdine in the first round. “That was a fun one,” said Almodovar, who was part of a five-set win for the Flyers. Dayton came back from a set down to win, 15-11 in the fifth set.
“We were just able to stay in it longer and we were able to get ahead in the fifth set,” said Almodovar. “A lot of the players on my team played really well.”
The Flyers took on host Washington State in the second round. The 10th-ranked Cougars brought Dayton’s season to end, beating the Flyers in four sets. All three of Dayton’s losses were to ranked teams: Marquette was rated 12th, and No. 2 Louisville needed five sets to get past the Flyers in an early-season match.
“Even though we fell short, I think there’s a lot of pride that comes with winning any matches in the tournament,” said Almodovar.
Almodovar balanced playing volleyball with her major of K-5 elementary education. She began student-teaching in the fall and will continue that into the spring semester. Almodovar is teaching second grade – “It’s been a great experience,” she said.
Almodovar said the balancing act “was difficult at times,” and usually meant she had to come in late to practice almost every day. But everything worked out thanks to an understanding from Almodovar and her coaches to make her schedule work.
“Coaches are good at understanding about school comes first,” said Almodovar. She has a good example in her mother, Jill (Lyon) Almodovar, who played college volleyball at Purdue Fort Wayne (then IPFW) and has been a decades-long teacher in Noblesville.
“She is the first person I go to for help,” said Lexie Almodovar. “She is a great teacher, very respected in Noblesville. She helps me with ideas for class. She understands more than most the time commitment.”
Almodovar will be back next season for her redshirt senior year. After that, it will be on to a career in teaching, although she mentioned an interest in coaching the sport that has given her so much, and that she has given her all to over the years.
“I would love to see if I could get into coaching,” said Almodovar. “I think it would be really cool to coach college volleyball for a little bit.”