UIC Tops DePaul
10/28/2009 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
CHICAGO - The DePaul volleyball team suffered a 3-0 (25-16, 25-17, 25-9) loss to cross-town rival UIC on Tuesday at McGrath Arena. The Blue Demons fall to 6-17, while the Flames improve to 13-13 on the season.
The UIC put together an impressive offensive performance which was led by five student-athletes with attack percentages above .400. The Flames finished with 41 kills and were led by Kelsey Safranek's 11 kills and a blistering .733 attack percentage. Casie Sullivan and Nicole Allgood followed with eight kills each.
The first set played even as the two teams traded points and the frame was knotted seven times. Tied at 10, UIC went on an 8-2 run to push momentum in its favor and prompt a DePaul timeout. Coming out of the break, the Blue Demons committed an unforced error before Chandler Carney knocked down a thunderous kill, however the UIC lead was too great and the Flames went on to take the first frame 25-16.
The second set mirrored the first as the early points again played even. DePaul took an 11-10 advantage on a kill from Sarah Cullen but then stalled offensively as UIC strung together an 11-4 run for a 21-15 advantage. Sullivan closed out the set with a kill from Jessica Dalke as the Flames took the set 25-17.
UIC controlled the tempo of the third set with .812 hitting percentage and did not commit an attack error in the frame. With the Flames hitting the ball precisely, the Blue Demons were unable to extend rallies and find their offensive rhythm. UIC won the final game 25-9.
Kate Letcher tallied four of her five kills in the final set while she recorded a .300 attack percentage in the match.
Lauren Blasi paced DePaul with eight kills, while Carney tacked on an additional seven. Sammy Geiger and Christy Landschoot shared the setting duties and combined for 27 assists.
Defensively, UIC's Taylor Szatkowski paced the floor with 14 digs while Landschoot controlled DePaul's defense with six digs. The Blue Demons out blocked the Flames 3-1 with Rachel Aumann, Molly Creek, Blasi, Carney, Cullen and Letcher all assisting on one block.
The Blue Demons begin a BIG EAST Conference weekend with Rutgers on Oct. 31 and Seton Hall on Nov. 1.