Blue Demons Close 2014 Campaign at Marquette
11/20/2014 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
CHICAGO - The DePaul volleyball team will look to finish on a high note when it travels to rival Marquette for a 6 p.m. showdown on Saturday, Nov. 22. The Blue Demons (3-26, 1-16 BIG EAST) are still in search of their first victory in November, while the Golden Eagles (23-7, 13-4) have already secured a spot in the BIG EAST Championship.
DePaul dropped two hard-fought matches last weekend to conference foes Seton Hall and Villanova. Both matches went into extra frames, but both ended in Blue Demon defeats.
Saige Gallop spearheaded the attack for DePaul, notching 33 kills combined between both contests. Gallop also contributed 19 digs, including a career-high 15 at Villanova.
Colleen Smith was a double-double machine as the junior grabbed a pair of them last weekend. Smith tallied 38 assists and 13 digs in her first double-double at Villanova before adding 45 assists and a career-best 21 digs in a five-set loss to Seton Hall.
The Blue Demons had it going on the defensive end as libero Lexi Chanos recorded 43 digs split between two matches and Caitlyn Coffey registered 10 block assists including two solo stuffs.
As a team, DePaul reached double figures with 14 and 10 blocks, respectively. Those totals marked the first weekend in conference play that the Blue Demons have reach double figures in total blocks.
Series History
The Blue Demons hold a 28-25 edge in the all-time series. However, the Golden Eagles have dominated as of late, winning the last seven matchups dating back to the 2009 season. Of those seven duels, five have been clean sweeps by Marquette with the other two decisions going to four and five sets, respectively.
Last Time Out - Marquette
Marquette won the battle in Lincoln Park in three sets thanks in large part to BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Autumn Bailey's 16 kills and seven services aces. Experienced led the way for DePaul as its night was defined by three solid performances from juniors. Callie Huebener paced the offense with 10 kills while also adding a pair of digs and block assists. Saige Gallop followed close behind with eight kills and chimed in with four digs and two rejections. Colleen Smith added 27 assists and nine digs to round out the Blue Demon contingent. DePaul was held to a conference-low .111 (30-20-90) attacking percentage.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
Set to host the 2014 BIG EAST Championship on campus, Marquette has secured a berth in the postseason tournament with a 13-4 mark in league play. The Golden Eagles split a pair of decisions last weekend on the road, dropping a four-set affair with Seton Hall and sweeping Villanova in straight sets. Marquette leads the BIG EAST with a .253 attacking percentage and ranks second in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.155), assists per set (12.96) and kills per set (14.06). Autumn Bailey leads the attack with an average of 4.74 kills per set. Meghan Niemann and Lindsay Gosh rank sixth and seventh in the league with attacking percentages of .311 and .289, respectively.
