DePaul University
Creighton
Volleyball Drops BIG EAST Road Match at Creighton, 3-1
10/11/2013 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Oct. 11, 2013
OMAHA, Neb. - A dramatic set one victory didn't hold up for the DePaul volleyball team, as home-standing Creighton rallied for a 3-1 (25-27, 25-18, 25-14, 25-16) comeback win on Friday at D.J. Sokol Arena.
It was the first BIG EAST home match in Creighton history and the Blue Demons did their best to spoil the fun, but eventually fell to 14-3 overall and 1-3 in the BIG EAST with their second loss in three matches.
Creighton improved to 11-4 and 2-1 in the conference, receiving a triple-double effort from its setter, Michelle Sicner, who had 12 kills, 39 assists and 12 digs.
In response, DePaul got a third double-double from its setter, Colleen Smith, who recorded 28 assists and 13 digs.
On the attack, the Blue Demons continued to get high outputs from sophomore Abbie Fleener (12 kills) and senior Vesela Zapryanova (10 kills), but hit a season-low .093 and committed 28 errors against a vaunted CU block that came into the match ranked fourth in the nation - DePaul was out-blocked 13-10 in the match.
Defensively, senior Allyson Rooks led the team with 18 digs as DePaul held Creighton to a .233 hitting percentage. Zapryanova also added eight digs on the evening.
Fleener's five kills, on an efficient .400 hitting percentage, led the field in a first set that the Blue Demons trailed for the entirety - until crunch time.
DePaul tied the match for the first time at 23-23 on a Bluejay ball handling error as a dogfight ensued for the remainder of the set. CU grabbed the next point before a block by Fleener and Natalie Rizzo evened things up for the second time at 24-24.
Leah McNary supplied CU's next point to bring about set point at 25-24 but it would be spoiled by Zapryanova, who landed a kill and ace back-to-back to give DePaul its first lead, 26-25. A Bluejay error on the ensuing rally gave DePaul a 1-0 lead in the match.
The Blue Demons scored first in the second set on a kill by Callie Huebener, but Creighton responded by taking eight of the next 10 points to lead 8-3 early. DePaul would climb back to within three, 12-9, on another Huebener bullet but would never get closer as Creighton evened the match with a 25-18 set win.
In set three, the Blue Demons kept things close early and had the frame within two points at 15-13. The Bluejays exploded from that point, however, putting together a 10-1 run to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
DePaul led 6-5 early in set four, but another Creighton run - this time 11-2 - put the match in serious jeopardy for the Blue Demons. Trailing 16-8, DePaul could not stop a hot-hitting Creighton team as the Bluejays finished the set at .344 and took the match, 25-16.
Next up for DePaul is a midweek home match against Green Bay at McGrath-Phillips Arena. First service is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. CT.
Match Notes: Smith put together her third double-double effort of the season with 28 assists and 13 digs... Rizzo tied a career-high with seven total blocks... DePaul hit a season-low .093, its first time hitting sub-.100 this season and worst hitting percentage since November 4, 2012 at Seton Hall (.083)... the team's previous low hitting percentage this season was .171 at Drake on Sept. 6... the Blue Demons' 28 errors were their second-most of the season... DePaul recorded 10 blocks for the second straight match... Zapryanova finished with double figures in kills for the fifth straight match...
