Volleyball Heads to Notre Dame

DePaul at Notre Dame
Friday, October 13
at Notre Dame
Joyce Center (South Bend, Ind.)
6:00 p.m. (CST)

Match Notes
Live Stats, Live Audio
Comcast Local (South Bend Area) - Tape Delay, October 18, 9:00 p.m.

CHICAGO –  The DePaul volleyball team travels to South Bend to take on Notre Dame at the Joyce Center, Friday in BIG EAST action.  Friday’s meeting marks the 12 meeting for the two teams and the second as BIG EAST Conference rivals.

Coming off a win at Chicago State, the Blue Demons (6-16, 0-5) face an Irish team that has won seven of their last eight matches, including five conference matches and sit atop the BIG EAST standings with St. John’s.  The Irish (11-5, 5-0) have historically played  well on their home floor, holding a 240-76 advantage at the Joyce Center

Offensively the Blue Demons are led by senior Morgan Ingersoll, who averages a team best and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST averaging 4.15 kills per game.  The senior has terminated the ball effectively in conference matches and ranks sixth, averaging 4.50 kills per game.  Against Syracuse (10/7), Ingersoll finished with a career-high 27 kills which ties for the second most kills by any BIG EAST player in a conference match this season. 

Against the Irish in 2005,  Ingersoll paced the Blue Demons posting a season-high .562 (11-2-16) attack percentage. Sophomore Maureen Zigulich led the defense with 11 kills.

Notre Dame (11-5, 5-0 BIG EAST)

Friday, October 13, 6:00 p.m. (CST)

Head Coach:  Debbie Brown (16th Season)

Series: Notre Dame leads the series 7-4

Last Meeting: Notre Dame won, 3-0 (30-20, 30-19, 30-10)

The Notre Dame offense was on fire in its 2005 meeting with the Blue Demons, hitting .522 for the match and had three players, Adrianna Stasiuk, Lauren Kelbley (graduated) and Lauren Brewster (graduated), finish with double-digit kill totals and registered attack percentages over .545.   This season Stasiuk leads the team with 197 kills, while chipping in 3.36 digs and 0.74 blocks per game.  Defensively,  Danielle Herdon leads the ND averaging 5.33 digs per game which is the second most in the league.

Last Friday the 13th

The last time the Blue Demons played on Friday the 13th it proved to be lucky as DePaul defeated UNLV 3-1 (30-23,24-30,30-28,30-21) in the opening game of the Blue Demon Invitational on Friday, September 13, 2002.  Although the Blue Demons won in 2002, historically they have been less successful as they are 2-7 all-time on Friday the 13th. 

 

Nearing 1,000

Senior Morgan Ingersoll is nearing 1,000 career points and kills.  Entering the weekend the senior has 993.5 points (kills + service aces + blocks) and has registered 908 kills.  In her 297 career games, Ingersoll averages 3.06 kills per game and 3.34 points per game.  Ingersoll holds the DePaul record for points, registering 28.0 points against Central Arkansas (9/15/06) and Syracuse (10/7/06).

Ellen Looks reaches 1,300 digs

Senior Ellen Hayes is known for her aggressive defensive play, leading the Blue Demons with 365 (3.96 DPG)digs this season.  During Hayes’ career, she averages 3.68 digs per game and enters the weekend with 1,332 career digs.  Hayes also holds the McGrath Arena record for digs in a match, registering 34 digs against Tulane on 10/18/03.

Sidelined

The Blue Demons have three players, freshman setter Emily McGinnis, freshman middle blocker Ashley Graham, and sophomore outside hitter Caitlin Callaghan sitting out indefinitely with injuries. McGinnis, the Blue Demons No.1 setter and averages 10.45 assists per game suffered a concussion against Syracuse (10/7).  Graham, who appeared in four matches, dislocated her shoulder in practice a September 11.  Callaghan, who started 16 matches and is fifth on the team with 81 kills injured her right ankle against October 7, against Syracuse.

Road Warriors

The Blue Demons spent the first seven weeks of the season on the road and have just six home in 2006. After traveling to South Bend the Blue Demons will have traveled over 7,600 (7,602.34) miles in their first eight weeks of competition.  DePaul first home series was October 7-8 when they hosted Syracuse and Marquette. 

Out of State

The Blue Demon have two players that do not call the state of Illinois “home.” Senior middle blocker Deane Gibson is from Wabash, Indiana (Southwood High School) which is 85 miles south of South Bend. Gibson leads the Blue Demons with a .202 attack percentage and is second on the team with 47 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter, Cristina Correa calls Houston, Texas (Lamar High School) home.

Morgan Mentioned

Senior Morgan Ingersoll was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll for the week of September 18.  The senior led the Blue Demons offensively during the Memphis Tournament, tallying 59 kills and a .226 attack percentage during DePaul’s four matches.  Against  Central Arkansas, Ingersoll tallied a career-high 27 kills.

All-Tournament Nodes

Senior Morgan Ingersoll and Caitlin Callaghan took home All-Tournament team accolades for the Blue Demons this season.  Callaghan was named to the Western Illinois all-tournament team while, Ingersoll was named to the Memphis and Rice all-tournament squads.

Preseason Pick

Notre Dame was selected by the league’s head coaches to win the 2006 BIG EAST Conference volleyball regular season crown. The Irish return three starters from last year’s BIG EAST Championship squad that posted a record of 30-4.

BIG EAST Championship

The University of Cincinnati will play host to the 2006 BIG EAST Championship at Fifth Third Arena in Cincinnati, Ohio. The top eight teams, according to league records, will participate in a single-elimination tournament to be held November 17-19.

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