Blue Demons Drop Weekend Finale to UIC

Saturday, September 17

Chicago, Ill.

7:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

4-8,0-0Big East

UIC

8-4,0-0MVC

DePaul

UIC

9/17/2022 11:12:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Flames get the best of the Blue Demons in final non-conference match

CHICAGO – DePaul volleyball dropped its non-conference finale on Saturday night in a 3-1 decision to UIC in the final match of the Chicago Cup at the Flames Athletic Center. The Blue Demons fought to win the first set and swung back and forth with the host Flames in the remaining three sets but did not have enough to clinch a victory.

Set scores of the match were: 25-23, 24-26, 22-25, 20-25.

The Blue Demons were led on the pins by 14 kills apiece from Jill Pressly and Taylor Underwood while Hanna Karl totaled 13 terminations of her own. Pressly and Karl added nine digs each in addition to a pair of blocks.

Bailey Nelson and Aly Kindelberger added eight and seven kills, respectively. Libero Rachel Krasowski picked up a team-high 17 digs and posted seven assists.

Maggie Jones dished out 24 assists while Ashley Cudiamat handed out 20.

The Flames saw four attackers reach double-figures led by 17 apiece from Mikala Henderson and Martina Delucchi.

Set One: The Blue Demons fell behind 9-6 in the early going before Pressly's second kill of the set dropped in to cut the deficit to one at 11-10. A Flames attack error evened the score at 14 before a two-point string for UIC forced a DePaul timeout. The Blue Demons ran off three unanswered points on Nelson and Pressly kills followed by a Kindelberger solo block to take a 19-18 advantage. Karl's third kill of the set clinched the opening set for DePaul 25-23. The Blue Demons hit a blistering .556 in set one.

Set Two: A UIC attack error pushed DePaul's early advantage to 10-7 before the Flames evened the set at 13. A rejection from Nelson and Kindelberger pushed DePaul in front 19-17. Pressly's 11th kill allowed the Blue Demons in front 21-19 but the Flames answered back with a 3-0 run to take a 22-21 edge. Underwood's back row kill silenced a UIC set point it wasn't enough as the Flames would take the set 26-24 to even the match.

Set Three: The Blue Demons fell behind 11-5 early in the third and could never get in a rhythm as the Flames took off to an 18-8 advantage. The Blue Demons strung together an 11-5 run to steal the momentum and come within four points at 23-19 and force a UIC timeout. With Karl behind the service line, DePaul rattled off three more points to cut the deficit to just one, 23-22 before a Flames kill and Pressly attack error clinched the set for UIC, 25-22.

Set Four: The sides traded points in the early going before a pair of Flames attack errors created a two-point separation in favor of DePaul 11-9. UIC used a 6-1 run to take a 16-15 lead. Despite an immediate side-out from DePaul, the Flames continued their run to take a 19-16 lead and force DePaul to utilize their final timeout of the set. The Blue Demons were unable to reach any closer as UIC won the set 25-20 and took the match 3-1.

From Head Coach Marie Zidek: "Tough way to end a very competitive Chicago Cup, but I have to compliment UIC for their motor and their game intelligence. The setter ran a very high-level match. Our offense was super hot all tournament, so we had opportunities for sure that we just weren't able to close out on. The key for our young group is finding ways to sustain that high end more consistently. Good teams manage best of 5 well. We have all of the pieces; it's just getting them to smooth out in ways that make us more consistent over the entirety of a match. I am super proud of how this group competed this weekend and showed that high end, and we played an excellent preseason that has prepared us for BIG EAST play. Now the job is on us to elevate our training and reach for higher. This group can do it."

Up Next: The Blue Demons will turn around and begin BIG EAST action on Wednesday, Sept. 21 against No. 19 Marquette at the Al McGuire Center. The match will be covered on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports. The conference home opener is slated for two days later on Friday, Sept. 23 when Butler visits McGrath-Phillips for a 7 p.m. match.