DePaul University
16-13,9-9Big East
St. John's
21-9,13-5Big East
Blue Demons Conclude Regular Season, Prepare for BIG EAST Tournament
11/18/2023 8:49:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
DePaul drops regular season finale match
CHICAGO -Â DePaul volleyball fell to St. John's, 3-1 (25-20, 18-25, 23-25, 22-25), Saturday evening.Â
Prior to the match, the Blue Demons recognized eight seniors for their contribution and impact on the DePaul volleyball program. Among those recognized were: Sierra Ellison, Sara Griffith, Phoenix Lee, Hanna Karl, Rachel Krasowski, Julia Nagy, Bailey Nelson and Jill Pressly.
DePaul (16-13, 9-9 BIG EAST) was led by Pressly with 11 kills and 14 digs, recording her 39th double-double of her career. The senior also added two service aces and one block.
Four Blue Demons tallied six kills, including Nelson, Karl, Audrey Klemp and Katelynn Oxley. Klemp and Oxley also added eight blocks each, setting new career-highs.Â
Ashley Cudiamat totaled 21 assists while Maggie Jones poured in 16.Â
"St John's just does not mind playing long rallies," said head coach Marie Zidek. "We did a nice job managing that but unfortunately, the offense fell a little flat tonight. A good learning experience and extra motivator going into Wednesday's tournament match. This team has accomplished so much and we look forward to the Big East Tournament."
St. John's (21-9, 13-5 BIG EAST) was paced by Erin Jones with 19 kills and nine digs.
HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE: The Red Storm grabbed the first point of the match, but a swift 10-2 run, including back-to-back kills and a block from Oxley helped DePaul take an early 10-3 lead. St. John's attempted to stage a comeback, scoring five unanswered before the Blue Demons earned one back with a block from Oxley and Klempl. An ace and a kill from Karl, three consecutive Johnnies errors and a Nelson kill widened the Blue Demons' lead to 19-10. Despite a pair of 3-0 runs, St. John's was unable to claw back from the deficit before their own error won DePaul the first set, 25-20.
SET TWO: Two assists from Cudiamat and a Red Storm error earned another early lead for DePaul, but a 7-1 run put St. John's ahead, 8-5. Four unanswered for the Johnnies widened their lead to 18-11, but a DePaul timeout prompted a quick 4-0 surge highlighted by back-to-back blocks from Klemp and Oxley. The Blue Demons were unable to get the set win, as St. John's took the win with a block.Â
SET THREE: Three kills from Klemp and Karl, and a block from Klemp and Kindelberger highlighted a quick run to give the Blue Demons the lead, 6-2. St. John's fought back, scoring five unanswered to take a narrow one point lead. Unphased, Pressly recorded two kills in a 3-0 DePaul run turned the 12-10 score back in the Blue Demons favor. A kill from Karl shut down a 6-1 St. John's run, and three unanswered for DePaul brought the Blue Demons within two at 22-20. The Red Storm delivered a final blow to win set three 25-23.
SET FOUR: Four quick points earned St. John's the early lead, but two assists from Cudiamat set up kills for Jones and Pressly to help DePaul get within one. A 6-1 St. John's run widened the Red Storm's lead to 14-8, which eventually proved too much for the Blue Demons to overcome. A 7-1 surge, including kills from Griffith, Nelson, and Pressly helped narrow the gap to 24-22, but the Johnnies grabbed the final point to win the set 25-22 and secure their third straight set.
UP NEXT
The Blue Demons will head to the BIG EAST Tournament, hosted by Marquette. DePaul will play in the first round matchups on Wednesday, Nov. 22. Opponent and time will be announced at a later date.
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