Blue Demons Ready to Face Rockets in NIVC

CHICAGO – DePaul volleyball (19-13, 10-8 BIG EAST) is set to face Toledo (17-14, 10-8 Mid-American) in the opening round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The match is slated to begin at 7 p.m. at McGrath-Phillips Arena, with streaming here on the DePaul Athletics YouTube.

"Toledo comes in with some really nice arms that go for it" said head coach Marie Zidek.

"It's going to be the task on our side to slow them down and disrupt them with our serve. We are excited to hold our game high for the third straight week and represent the BIG EAST conference well on our home court in the NIVC."

BLUE DEMON BITS

The Blue Demons tally the most all-conference selections in program history, with Aly Kindelberger, Audrey Klemp, Jill Pressly, and Rachel Krasowski being named to the All-BIG EAST team
Krasowski also earned the 2024 BIG EAST Libero of the Year honor, the first time a Blue Demon has received the accolade, and first major award for DePaul volleyball since Kara Jakusz won Conference USA Setter of the Year in 2000
Krasowski is just 24 digs away from breaking her own single-season digs record, which she set at 582 in 2022
The Blue Demons seek to reach 20 wins in a season for the first time since 2001, also the last NCAA Tournament appearance for DePaul volleyball
Kindelberger concluded the regular season as one of the most efficient hitters in the BIG EAST, with 156 kills in conference play at a .311 clip
The Blue Demons earn postseason play for the second consecutive year, hosting for the first time in DePaul history
In 2023, DePaul traveled to Des Moines, Iowa for the opening rounds of the NIVC, earning a win in three sets against Southern Illinois before falling to Drake in the round of 16
Freshman Amanda Saeger and senior Ashley Cudiamat share setting responsibilities for the Blue Demons, dishing out an average of 12.86 per set, good for 30th in the nation, and notching 1582 total, putting DePaul fifth in team assists across all of Division I
With 4.24 kills per set, Pressly ranks 38th among all Division I players, the only student-athlete in the BIG EAST to reach the 4.00 mark
A win would snap a three-match losing skid at home for the Blue Demons, with their last home win on November 1 against Seton Hall

SCOUTING THE ROCKETS

The Rockets posted a three-set loss to Ball State in the opening round of the MAC Tournament, their third loss to the Cardinals in the month of November
Taylor Alt leads Toledo with 415 total kills and 3.74 per set, landing her the lone recognition for the Rockets on the All-MAC First Team
Libero Grace Freiberger paces the Rockets on defense, tallying 518 total digs and an average of 5.03 per set, placing her first in the league and 19th nationally
Freiberger joins fellow Rocket Sierra Pertzborn on the All-MAC Freshman Team, and middle blocker Pertzborn paces the squad with 115 total blocks on the year

SERIES STUFF

The Blue Demons hold the all-time series 2-1, with the last meeting coming nine years ago in 2015, a straight-set Blue Demon victory at home
The first meeting between the two sides occurred in 1988, a 3-1 win for DePaul in Peoria, Illinois

UP NEXT
With a win, the Blue Demons would advance to the Super 16 on Friday, December 6 at McGrath-Phillips Arena, facing the winner of Lindenwood versus Omaha. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. Friday, with streaming again available on the DePaul Athletics YouTube channel.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
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TICKET INFORMATION
Join DePaul Volleyball at McGrath-Phillips Arena to celebrate 50 seasons of Blue Demon volleyball! Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information, including single-game tickets and group opportunities.

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Players Mentioned

Ashley Cudiamat

Aly Kindelberger

Audrey Klemp

Rachel Krasowski

Jill Pressly

Amanda Saeger