DaytonDailyNews.com

Friday, all the people who want to do all the right things for sports that don't have the same following as football or basketball, get their chance.

Lipscomb, Tenn., visits the Frericks Center to play the University of Dayton in a first-round NCAA volleyball match.

Round 2 will also be played at UD on Saturday, with the Flyers advancing if they win Friday's match.

Over the past 30-some years, Title IX, which promotes gender-equity, has elevated the play of women at a remarkable pace. There are many more females participating in athletics than at any time in history.

Where the games remain lacking are in supporters. If there were more spectators in the stands, wouldn't even more females become interested in playing? Wouldn't the gratification the football and basketball players get help spur achievement, especially in women's sports?

There will be two matches Friday, with Kentucky vs. Michigan State opening play at 5 p.m. followed by Lipscomb vs. UD at 7 p.m. Winners meet at 7 p.m. Saturday.

Tickets are $10 for a two-day pass and $6 for students and seniors, less than a couple gallons of gas.

It's college athletics at its best. It is a local team trying to make a national name for itself. It is a sport that is played in the Olympics, is fun to watch and the matches are played in a timely manner.

And, as you know, UD is 32-1. It might not be football or basketball, but it looks to be pretty good.