Irish Top Blue Demons
10/17/2008 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
CHICAGO -- The DePaul volleyball fell to Notre Dame 3-0 (25-20, 25-14, 25-18), Thursday in BIG EAST Conference action at McGrath Arena. The Blue Demons fall to 2-17 and 1-6 in league play, while the Irish improve to 10-9 and 5-2 in conference action.
Notre Dame controlled the tempo of the match with a .317 attack percentage, as 11 different players contributed kills in the win. Christina Kaelin paced the Irish with 10 kills. Serinity Philips chipped in an additional eight kills and led Notre Dame with four total blocks. The Irish tallied 10 blocks in the match compared to DePaul’s five.
The first set was the close as there were nine early ties. Tied at 15, the Irish strung together a 5-1 run and took a 21-16 lead on a Blue Demon attack error. Inconstant hitting plagued the Blue Demons as the Irish earned their final two points on DePaul hitting errors. Notre Dame won the first set 25-20, behind a .324 clip, while the Blue Demons hit just .050 in the frame.
Both teams produced their best offensive output in the second set, but the Irish’s .375 hitting percentage was too much to overcome. Notre Dame opened an early 4-0 lead and never looked back as the Irish won the stanza 25-14. DePaul’s Sarah Cullen tallied four of the Blue Demons’ nine kills as the squad recorded a match-high .131 clip in the set.
Following the break the Blue Demons battled as they jumped on the board in the third set with a pair of kills by Kyndell Highland and Cullen. Notre Dame fought back and tied the stanza at four with a kill before the two teams resumed trading points.
Tied at eight, the Blue Demons took their second two-point advantage on a service ace by Highland and kill from Christy Landschoot. The Irish, quickly answered and tied the set 12 and again at 13 before going on a 12-5 run to close out the set.
Landschoot dished out 26 assists in the loss, but she was big at the net as she tallied three blocks assists to lead the Blue Demon effort.
Cullen registered her 12th double-double of the season and 20th of her career. The outside hitter paced the floor with 11 kills and 11 digs.
The Blue Demons return to the court on Tuesday, Oct. 21 at Chicago State. The Blue Demons and Cougars tangle at 7 p.m. on the Southside.
Notes: Junior Sarah Cullen has 12 double-doubles (kills-digs) this season and 20 in her career...Cullen has finished the last 14 of 15 matches with double-digit kill totals... Cullen ranks second in the conference by averaging 3.72 kills per set (264 kills)... sophomore Jacie Fiedler has registered double-digit kill totals in 12 of the Blue Demons’ 18 matches, while she has finished 27 career matches in double-digit kill totals... the Blue Demons picked up their first BIG EAST victory against West Virginia a 3-0 sweep on Oct. 12... although 2-17, the team has only lost five matches 3-0, while they have played nine, four set and four, five set matches... Notre Dame now leads the all-time series 11-4.