DePaul University
Creighton
Blue Demons Suffer First BIG EAST Loss at Creighton
9/25/2016 12:00:00 AM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Box Score: Creighton 3, DePaul 1 
OMAHA, Neb. - Closing the first road weekend of BIG EAST play, DePaul fell in four sets to Creighton Sunday afternoon, 3-1 (25-15, 29-31, 25-21, 25-17). The Blue Demons fall to 7-7 overall (1-1 BIG EAST), while Creighton remains the lone unbeaten team in BIG EAST play at 2-0 and 8-6 overall.
Colleen Smith recorded her third-straight double-double with 37 assists and 11 digs. The senior matched her double-double total from last year.
Myah Reed finished with a team-high 14 kills for the Blue Demons. She was followed by Brittany Maxwell with 12, including five blocks.
Haley Bueser secured a team-high 12 digs on the back line.
Creighton benefited from the home court to start the match, riding momentum to a 9-3 lead in the first set. The Blue Demons cut the deficit to one at 11-10 after Reed found enough space to secure a kill. After the DePaul push, the Bluejays rallied for four points to build the lead back to five. Creighton closed the set by winning six of the final seven points.
The second set featured 15 ties and six lead changes, resulting in the tightest set of the afternoon. Late in the set, the Blue Demons rallied to tie the score at 23-all and forced a Creighton timeout. The Bluejays answered with the next point that gave them a chance at set point. A clutch kill by Claire Anderson tied the match again at 24-all. The two sides were deadlocked at points 25 through 29 before an attacking error from Creighton and a kill from Maxwell secured the second frame for DePaul.
The tight play continued into the third set with DePaul tying the match at 9-9 thanks to a Maxwell kill. Creighton jumped to a four-point lead after with a 4-1 run and built its lead to seven at 21-14 after a DePaul error. The Blue Demons crawled back into the frame and forced Creighton to call a timeout after Smith recorded a service ace to make the score 22-19. Coming out of the timeout, the Bluejays found a late push that helped them win set three, 25-21.
DePaul carried a 6-3 lead in the fourth set before Creighton landed a big rally to pull away from the Blue Demons. A pair of 3-0 rallies by DePaul were not enough to catch the Bluejay lead and Creighton went on to win the fourth set, 25-17, and the match.
The Blue Demons return to McGrath-Phillips Arena for their next BIG EAST match. DePaul hosts Villanova on Friday, Sept. 30 at 7 p.m. CT to start a three-match home stand for the Blue Demons.
