DePaul Falls Short in Five-Set Battle With SMU

Friday, August 26

Dallas, Texas

7:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

0-2,0-0Big East

SMU

2-0,0-0AAC

DePaul

SMU

DePaul Falls Short in Five-Set Battle With SMU

8/26/2022 10:55:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Four Blue Demons record 10 or more kills in the five-set loss

DALLAS – Despite climbing back to force a deciding fifth set, DePaul could not close out the match in a 3-2 setback to SMU on Friday night at Moody Coliseum.

Set scores of the match were: 26-28, 21-25, 25-23, 27-25, 8-15.

The Blue Demons utilized a balanced attack in the five-set affair as four attackers recorded 10 or more kills. Jill Pressly and Hanna Karl once again notched double doubles on the outside. Pressly totaled a team-high 20 kills along with 18 digs and two blocks. Karl picked up 11 digs and terminated 11 attacks.

Senior Bailey Nelson put up a stellar outing on the right side with 12 kills on .429 hitting. Aly Kindelberger continued her dominance in the middle with a career-high 12 kills in addition to six blocks.

Setter Maggie Jones picked up her first double double as a Blue Demon with 37 assists and 14 digs along with three blocks and a pair of kills. Rachel Krasowski chipped in 15 digs.

SMU was led by Jamison Wheeler's match-high 21 kills.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
Set One: The two squads traded points for the first 20 rallies as the score stood knotted at 10. The Mustangs strung together a 3-0 run to move in front 15-12. Back-t0-back kills from Taylor Underwood on the right side cut the deficit to 18-16 for the Blue Demons before a Hanna Karl kill brought the Blue Demons within one at 20-19. A 4-0 run for DePaul capped by a Jill Pressly and Sara Griffith block put the Blue Demons in front 23-21. SMU answered right back with a three-point spurt of their own to earn set point, but a Mustangs service error and Pressly kill gave the Blue Demons set point. A 3-0 run from SMU proved to be too much for the Blue Demons and the Mustangs took the first set, 28-26.

Set Two: SMU continued their run in the beginning of the second set, jumping out to a 12-6 lead. Kindelberger and Karl kills cut into the Mustangs lead 14-10. A Bailey Nelson termination trimmed the deficit to three at 18-15. DePaul staved off one set point but it wouldn't be enough as a Blue Demon error would give SMU set two, 25-21.

Set Three: Pressly put down her 13th kill of the match put DePaul in front 10-8 in the third set. A 5-0 scoring spurt for the Blue Demons marked by a pair of Kills from Nelson put the Blue Demons in the drivers seat 13-8 to force a Mustangs timeout. The Mustangs inched closer and evened the score at 17 apiece. SMU claimed three of the next four points to take a 20-18 advantage. The Blue Demons strung together three consecutive points to tie the set at 23 apiece on a Taylor Underwood kill on the outside. Sara Griffith dropped in back-to-back aces to hand DePaul the set 25-23 and force a fourth frame.

Set Four: Aly Kindelberger and Maggie Jones put up a consecutive blocks on the right side to put the Blue Demons in front 13-10 but the Mustangs responded with a 5-1 run to pull in front for the first time in the fourth. Both sides were within a point of each other for the latter stages of the fourth set until SMU took a 22-20 lead. The Blue Demons staved off a trio of match points including a successful challenge that overturned the SMU match clincher. A Mustangs attack error and Nelson kill forced a fifth set as DePaul took the fourth 25-23.

Set Five: The two sides traded points through the first eight rallies before consecutive Blue Demon errors put SMU in front 6-4. A Mustangs attack error allowed for DePaul to pull within one before a 3-0 run by the hosts put the Blue Demons behind 10-6. SMU took five of the next seven points to take the set 15-8 and the match, 3-2.

UP NEXT: The Blue Demons will close out opening weekend on Saturday, Aug. 27 with their final match of the SMU DoubleTree Invitational against UC Irvine at 12 p.m.