DePaul Drops Four-Set Decision to Wildcats

Friday, October 4

Chicago, Ill.

7 p.m.

DePaul University

10-5,2-1Big East

Villanova

10-4,3-0Big East

Villanova

DePaul

Amanda Saeger sets the ball at McGrath-Phillips Arena

10/4/2024 10:19:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Photo Gallery

Pressly and Saeger tally double-doubles in loss

CHICAGO - DePaul volleyball fell to the Villanova Wildcats 3-1 (25-21, 25-13, 22-25, 25-19) Friday evening. The Blue Demons fall to 10-5 on the season, recording their first loss in BIG EAST play.

Graduate student Jill Pressly led the Blue Demon offense, posting 16 kills and ten digs en route to her 57^th career double-double. Pin hitter Audrey Klemp poured in eight kills, while sophomore Yagmur Yavuz matched her season-high with seven kills of her own.

Freshman Amanda Saeger notched her fifth double-double of the year, registering 15 assists and 11 digs, while fellow setter Ashley Cudiamat added 18 assists and nine digs.

Defensively, libero Rachel Krasowski tallied 14 digs for the Blue Demons.

"Congrats to Villanova they earned that one tonight" said head coach Marie Zidek.

"They flat out beat us and exposed every weakness we have. We are disappointed in our lack of performance, specifically from the offensive side of the ball. The task only gets tougher with St. John's, but moments like this define teams. Let's see how we can respond."

Villanova was paced by 12 kills and 11 digs from outside hitter Abby Harrell.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE: The set opened with two quick points for the Wildcats, but the Blue Demons kept within striking distance after kills from junior Katelynn Oxley and two from Pressly. DePaul pulled even at 14 after being down as many as four, but Villanova earned the set, 25-23.

SET TWO: DePaul began the set with a kill from sophomore Meghan Scholz, but seven Blue Demon errors proved difficult to overcome. Three late kills from Harrell gave the Wildcats a 25-13 set win.

SET THREE: Two kills from sophomore Yagmur Yavuz earned DePaul the early edge, and they never looked back. The Blue Demons pushed their lead to as many as six in the middle of the set, with two kills from freshman Luisa Juncu and an additional two kills from Yavuz. Villanova pulled within two late, but a Pressly kill sealed the set, 25-22 in favor of DePaul.

SET FOUR: The set remained close early, with three DePaul errors and two Pressly kills. Tied at six, the Wildcats went on a 4-0 run and never relinquished the lead. The Blue Demons fought valiantly with two kills each from Pressly and junior Grace Brooker, but the Wildcats took the set on a DePaul error, 25-19.

UP NEXT
The Blue Demons will be back on the road for four consecutive games, beginning with Georgetown on Friday, October 11 in Washington D.C. First serve against the Hoyas is set for 6 p.m. CT and the match can be streamed here. The Blue Demons close their travel weekend with a showdown against Seton Hall on Sunday, October 13 in South Orange, New Jersey. The match is slated for 12 p.m. CT. and can be streamed here on FloVolleyball.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
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TICKET INFORMATION
Join DePaul Volleyball at McGrath-Phillips Arena this fall to celebrate 50 years of Blue Demon volleyball! Season ticket memberships start at only $45 per seat and include access to all 15 regular season home matches. For an additional $30, upgrade your experience and sit courtside at McGrath-Phillips Arena! Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information, including single-game tickets and group opportunities.