DePaul University
12-10,5-6Big East
Connecticut
7-16,2-9Big East
DePaul Takes Down UConn in Four-Set Match
10/27/2023 10:14:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Blue Demons down Huskies, 3-1
CHICAGO - DePaul volleyball defeated UConn, 3-1 (23-25, 25-13, 25-22, 25-23), Friday night.Â
The Blue Demons were led by Jill Pressly who had 21 kills and 12 digs, all while chipping in a career-best five service aces. Audrey Klemp added 12 kills for her fifth consecutive match in double figures. Bailey Nelson poured in eight kills while Meghan Scholz and Katelynn Oxley each had six terminations.Â
Oxley led the squad in blocks, recorded five on the night while Nelson and Scholz totaled four blocks each.
Julia Nagy paced the defense with 24 digs and added six assists. Maggie Jones tallied 40 assists to go along with four kills during the match.
"You can just tell this team is pressure tested," said head coach Marie Zidek. "We handled pressurized moments really well. There was no uncertainty, no panic. It was just consistently protecting our arms to get back on the net and protecting our setters ability to set the ball. Our serve came strong tonight and we are able to work our way into these gritty end of season matches because of it. Fun to see and I hope we can see it again tomorrow."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE: The Huskies took an early 2-5 lead, but DePaul quickly fought back with Jones setting up Klemp for a kill alongside two UConn errors to tie the score at 8 per side. Terminations from Nelson and Klemp gave the Blue Demons a narrow 11-9 lead. Splitting points and a pair of 3-0 runs, the score evened at 22-22. An ace for the Huskies' brought the Blue Demons to set point and DePaul wasn't able to bring the Huskies to heel before UConn won the set, 23-25.
SET TWO: The Blue Demons started strong in set two, leading the Huskies by at least two points in the first half of the set. A kill and a triplet of aces from Pressly doubled DePaul's lead, 12-6. Jones assisted a fifth kill from Pressly and a kill from Oxley to keep the Blue Demons ahead, 17-9. DePaul widened their lead to 10 with another Pressly kill, 22-13. Two errors and two kills from Pressly put the Demons at a 24-13 set point before an Oxley kill finished off the Huskies, 25-13. The team recorded a blistering hitting percentage of .375 in the second set.Â
SET THREE: A Pressly ace set the tone from the jump in set three. Connecticut and DePaul traded blows until the Huskies found four unanswered points to put them up, 9-12. The Blue Demons answered with two kills and an ace from Pressly, a Klemp kill and a block from Oxley to go on a 5-0 run and take a 14-12 lead. UConn was unable to find another lead as two heroic saves from libero Nagy and a block from Oxley and Nelson secured DePaul a 20th point, 20-18. An unstoppable kill from Jones put the Blue Demons at set point before Nelson won DePaul the set, 25-22.
SET FOUR: Back-and-forth action through the beginning of the set culminated in four unanswered points to put the Blue Demons up, 10-6. After a timeout, the Huskies responded with a 5-0 run to give UConn a one point edge. With an ace from Mannion, a pair of Klemp kills and blocks from Nelson, Oxley and Scholz, DePaul only allowed three Connecticut points during three 3-0 runs to lead, 21-16. The Huskies brought the score up to 23-20 before Klemp's 12th kill of the night delivered the final blow to UConn, 25-23.
UP NEXT
DePaul hosts Providence to close out weekend play. First serve between the Friars and Blue Demons is set for 4 p.m.
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