DePaul University Athletics
DePaul University
Notre Dame
DePaul Falls in Five Sets to Notre Dame
9/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Box Score: Notre Dame 3, DePaul 2 
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The DePaul volleyball team went up early against Notre Dame Saturday afternoon in the Spartan Classic, but fell in five sets, 3-2 (19-25, 19-25, 25-16, 25-22, 15-12). DePaul falls to 6-5 on the year and Notre Dame improves to 8-3.
Lexi Chanos recorded a season-high 25 digs for the Blue Demons and added four assists.
DePaul had four student-athletes register double-digit kills. Brittany Maxwell led the group with 20 kills, followed by Caitlyn Coffey with a season-high 19 kills (.750 hitting percentage).
The two teams came into Saturday's match after two opposite results to close Friday. DePaul swept UMES, while Notre Dame was swept by Michigan State. In the first set, seven ties early brought both sides to a 12-12 score. DePaul notched the next three points to gain the biggest lead of the set at the time, but Notre Dame answered with three points of its own to tie it again at 15-all. The Blue Demons responded with a 4-0 rally and recorded a pair of 3-0 runs to hold off the Irish, 25-19.
Unlike the first set, the Blue Demons gained an early lead in the second set. A Maxwell kill gave DePaul the 9-5 advantage. The two sides battled midway through the set with Notre Dame cutting the deficit to just one at 15-14 off a service ace. Feeling the pressure, the Blue Demons answered with another important 4-0 rally and built the lead to five points. DePaul and Notre Dame traded points late in the set and the Blue Demons were able to clinch the set on a Coffey kill.
In the third set, the table turned in favor of Notre Dame. The Irish produced a six-point lead at 10-4 off a Katie Higgins kill. DePaul cut the Irish lead to four on multiple occasion, but Notre Dame seemed to always have an answer. The Irish closed the set winning six of the final seven points.
DePaul and Notre Dame traded leads throughout the whole fourth frame. Midway through the set, DePaul held a slim lead at 15-12 and continued the back-and-forth play. The Irish tied the match at 15-all and again at 19-all before taking the lead on the next point. With the score set at 21-21, Notre Dame began what would be a 4-1 rally to claim the fourth set and force a fifth and final frame.
To open the fifth set, the two teams played to a 5-5 tie. Notre Dame pulled away slightly to earn a two-point advantage. The lead did not last long as the Blue Demons tied the match again at 10-10 off a Notre Dame attacking error. Notre Dame regained a lead of two at 13-11 and forced DePaul to call a timeout. The timeout could not stop the Irish run and Notre Dame earned match point three plays later.
DePaul closes the weekend and its non-conference schedule against No. 22 Michigan State at 5 p.m. CT. The match between the Blue Demons and Spartans is set for 5 p.m. CT and will be streamed live on BTN2Go.
