DePaul University Athletics
Volleyball Drops Four-Game Match to Saint Louis
10/26/2001 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
CHICAGO -- DePaul volleyball dropped a four-game match to Saint Louis 30-27, 30-27, 20-30, 30-28 Friday evening at the Athletic Center. The loss drops the Blue Demons to 16-6 on the season and 7-3 in Conference USA. Saint Louis improves to 10-9 on the season and 6-4 in Conference USA.
"We have started too late all season and tonight was no different," said head coach Dawn Dockstader. "We are coming down the strech and we need our senior leadership to pick-up. I expect the seniors to refocus this team in the next 24 hours and have it ready for Memphis."
The Blue Demons came out flat early in game one. Saint Louis built leads of 12-5 and 23-16 on their way to victory. DePaul rallied to tie the score at 25-25, but Saint Louis held the Demons off the rest of the way for the 30-27 victory.
After dropping the second game 27-30, DePaul rallied in game three. Sophomore Lara Marks led the Demons with five kills in the game and senior Christa Dirr added four kills. DePaul held a 21-16 lead and ran off six unanswered points to pull away and cut the Saint Louis lead to two games to one.
The fourth game was a back-and-forth affair with both teams holding leads throughout the game. Saint Louis was too much down the stretch scoring the final two points of the game to hold off DePaul 30-28, winning the match 3-1.
Dirr finished with a team-high 18 kills and a .486 hitting percentage while Marks finished with 15 kills and a .448 hitting percentage. Marks also compiled three block solos and three block assists. Senior Mary Anne Flanigan added 18 digs and senior Melissa Murphy compiled 13 digs.
Dockstader said, "Dirr and Marks did every thing we asked them to do tonight. The played big and really stepped up. Flanigan and Murphy played big as well."
Junior Colleen Hunter led Saint Louis with 29 kills and 21 digs.
DePaul hosts Memphis tomorrow evening at 7:00 p.m. at the Athletic Center in conference play.
