DePaul University
13-10,6-6Big East
Providence
8-16,2-10Big East
DePaul Downs Providence in Four-Set Match
10/28/2023 7:33:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Jill Pressly records 11th double-double in her 22nd match of the season
CHICAGO - DePaul volleyball defeated Providence, 3-1 (25-19, 25-20, 16-25, 27-25), Saturday evening. This was the Blue Demons' third win in their last four matches.Â
DePaul (13-10, 6-6 BIG EAST) was led by Jill Pressly, who tallied 25 kills and 10 digs for her 38th career double-double and her 11th of the season. The senior hit a blistering .375 hitting percentage throughout play and recorded nine terminations in the fourth set.Â
Bailey Nelson and Audrey Klemp each recorded double figure kills with 12 and 10, respectively. Freshman Meghan Scholz earned eight kills with a .545 hitting percentage. Scholz and Katelynn Oxley each had three blocks during play.
Freshman Nora Mannion totaled 13 digs, a team-high and tied her career-best. Julia Nagy chipped in 11 digs of her own.
Senior setter Phoenix Lee had a season-high 34 assists on the night. Lee also recorded nine digs and a career best three blocks.
"There are wins over ranked teams, championships, playoff wins and winning streaks, and then there's winning when adversity keeps coming," said head coach Marie Zidek. "Phoenix Lee hasn't set in a match for us yet this year and her number was called tonight and she delivered. The entire team played around her and stuck together well. Providence pushed us, their middles could not be stopped, but we found a way. This goes in the top five for program building wins for me, and I couldn't be prouder of the team's effort tonight individually and as a team. So many people elevated and grew tonight in so many more ways than volleyball. Really cool to see."
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE: The Friars started hot with three unanswered points, but the Blue Demons quickly rebounded with a pair of kills from Pressly and a kill from Katelynn Oxley to give DePaul a narrow 8-7 lead. Maggie Jones set up a pair of kills for Scholz and another Pressly kill to extend the Blue Demons' lead to four. Recording 12 assists in the first set, Jones set up two more kills by Oxley and Pressly during a 5-0 DePaul run to bring Providence to set point, 24-16. Pressly delivered the final blow to win the set for the Blue Demons, 25-19. The squad earned a .344 hitting percentage on 15 kills throughout the first set of play.
SET TWO: Both sides started set two with 3-0 runs, but a kill from Scholz and a block from Scholz and Nelson punctuated five consecutive DePaul points, grabbing the Blue Demons an 8-3 lead. The Friars were unable to catch up as kills from Klemp and Oxley doubled DePaul's lead. A 5-0 surge by the Friars cut down the lead, but Lee recorded a pair of assists, a kill, and teamed up with Oxley for a block to make it DePaul set point, 24-20. A Providence error secured a second Blue Demons set, 25-20.
SET THREE: Not ready to give up, a 5-0 run by the Friars early in set three gave Providence the lead, 3-7. Two powerful kills by Klemp and a trio Pressly kills weren't enough to stop the Friars, as they extended their lead, 11-21. The Blue Demons couldn't close the gap before the Friars found the set point and took the set victory.
SET FOUR: Trading points up through 9-9, an ace by Mannion and kills from Klemp and Pressly highlighted a 4-0 surge, giving the Blue Demons a slight 12-9 advantage. A trio of assists from Lee widened the gap to 15-10 before Pressly put DePaul up by six, 18-12. Four unanswered points from Providence evened the score once more at 20-20. The Blue Demons and Friars traded points until a Providence error gave DePaul advantage and Scholz hammered home a kill to take the match victory.
UP NEXT
The Blue Demons will remain at McGrath-Phillips Arena as they host RV Marquette on Wednesday, Nov. 1. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
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