DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Villanova
Volleyball Falls to Villanova Saturday Night
10/29/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
VILLANOVA, Pa. - In a battle between the fourth and fifth place teams in the BIG EAST standings, DePaul dropped the match Saturday at Villanova, 3-0 (25-18, 25-20, 25-19). The Blue Demons fall to 7-6 in the BIG EAST standings (13-12 overall), while the Wildcats move to 7-5 (16-8 overall).
Myah Reed and Caitlyn Coffey each had eight kills in the match. Coffey added four digs and one block.
Colleen Smith finished the night with 27 assists, seven digs and two kills.
Lexi Chanos and Haley Bueser shared the team lead for digs with 12 each.
Villanova broke the first set open with a 4-0 rally to make the score 11-6. DePaul responded with a 3-0 rally of its own, but the Wildcats went on to answer with a 5-0 run, forcing DePaul's second timeout. The Blue Demons would cut the lead to three on two separate occasions before Villanova scored three of the final four points to grab the early lead.
The two sides went back and forth for most of the second set. To start the second frame, DePaul and Villanova were tied at points one through eight. A total of 14 ties in the set brought the score to 16-16. Villanova rallied for five points in a row and took a 21-16 lead. The Blue Demons brought the advantage to three off a Villanova attacking error at 23-20, but the Wildcats answered with back-to-back kills to go up 2-0 in the match.
An early 3-0 lead for Villanova helped the Wildcats control the set. Shortly after, DePaul and Villanova traded blows, but the Wildcats slowly built on their lead. Villanova earned a 10-5 lead and forced a DePaul timeout. The Blue Demons stormed back and brought the score to 15-13 thanks to three-straight attacking errors by the Wildcats. Late in the set, the two sides traded the final eight points with Villanova securing match point off a kill.
DePaul has a chance to rebound from Saturday night next weekend as the Blue Demons close the three-match road swing against Marquette on Saturday, Nov. 5. The match between the Blue Demons and Golden Eagles is set for 6 p.m. CT and can be streamed live on the BIG EAST Digital Network.
