The University of Dayton volleyball team is headed to Lincoln, Neb., to compete in the much-anticipated Ameritas Players Challenge this weekend.

The Flyers, currently ranked No. 20 in the country, will face stiff competition from Thursday, Sept. 9, through Saturday, Sept. 11. UD will play No. 3 Illinois, No. 7 Nebraska and Western Michigan in the tournament, and while some teams might cringe at this type of schedule, Dayton embraces the stout competition.

"When you go into tournaments like this, you get excited about the challenge," head coach Kelly Sheffield said. "Competitors like to be tested, and that's what we are."

The players feel the same way, led by reigning Atlantic 10 Conference Defensive Player of the Week Lindsay Fletemier. The redshirt senior earned the award with 20 blocks in three matches last weekend at the Diet Coke Classic in Minneapolis.

"Playing against these quality teams is something I've been looking forward to," the middle blocker said. "This is the toughest schedule we've had in my four years here, so I'm excited to play these good teams that will prepare us for the end of the season."

The Flyers finished 2-1 in last weekend's tournament hosted by then No. 8 Minnesota. The team's only loss was in the final game against the Golden Gophers. The girls saw some positives in their performance, but know there are areas for improvement. Entering the three matches against quality opponents this weekend, they recognize they must resist getting overly-excited and stick to their game plan.

"We go in with the same mindset of just playing Dayton Flyers volleyball, but in the back of your mind, you are a little more excited, and it provides some extra motivation," senior outside hitter Tiffany Gaerke said. "I noticed from last weekend that no matter what happens, we need to stick together and keep our heads up. We have to embrace the moment and just play our game."

One unique storyline for Dayton this weekend involves redshirt senior setter Jessica Yanz. Yanz spent the last two years as a Nebraska Cornhusker, the host of the Ameritas Players Challenge and the Flyers' opening opponent Friday, Sept. 10, at 8 p.m.

"My time there was fun, but it was a huge learning experience for me," Yanz said. "I redshirted my first season there, so I could practice but not play. It put me in a whole different role and taught me how to make my team better. I still talk to a bunch of the girls from there, and we are pretty good about keeping in touch."

The Flyers know they must come out with more intensity than they had in Minneapolis. Winning two of the three games gave them something positive to build off of heading into this weekend's tournament, but with high caliber opponents looming yet again, a more focused effort will be required.

"I thought we had a lot of positives from last weekend, but we have to make it a point to come out swinging this weekend," Sheffield said. "We really need to drop the gloves, put our heads down and keep plugging away."