DePaul University Athletics
Volleyball Wins Conference USA Title!
11/18/2001 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
HOUSTON, TEXAS - The Blue Demon volleyball team is going to the big dance.
DePaul, 24-8, earned an automatic bid to the NCAA Volleyball Tournament by beating Louisville 3-2 (30-25, 20-27, 26-30, 25-30, 15-12) in the championship match of the Conference USA Tournament on Sunday at Hofheinz Pavilion.
The pairings for the NCAA Tournament will be announced on Monday, November 26 with the opening round matches slated for November 29-30.
"We just believed throughout the whole tournament."Â said DePaul head coach Dawn Dockstader. "Louisville is a fantastic team and we knew that they were not going to give up. We attacked the ball and came ready to play. After we lost game three and game four, I told the team that all they needed to worry about was playing the ball well and not the score. That is exactly what they did in the final game. I am extremely proud of this team and their determination to never give up."
Senior setter Kara Jakusz was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament and was joined on the All-Tournament squad by classmate Stephanie Bishop.
In today's title match, DePaul was led by junior Katie Engel who recorded 26 kills, a .344 hitting percentage and 17 digs. Jakusz dished out 74 assists, Bishop added 19 kills and 19 digs while sophomore Lara Marks chipped in with 17 kills.
It will be the second-ever NCAA Tournament appearance for the Blue Demon volleyball program with the previous berth coming in 1993 when DePaul lost in the opening round at Florida State. The tournament championship was also the first C-USA Tournament title for DePaul in any sport and also marked the first time ever in league history that a No. 5 seed won the championship.
