Blue Demons Fall in Final Chicago Cup Match

Saturday, September 21

Chicago, Ill.

5 p.m.

DePaul University

8-4,0-0Big East

Loyola

5-6,0-0Atlantic 10

Loyola Chicago

DePaul

Jill Pressly and Aly Kindelberger block at net

9/21/2024 9:10:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

Cudiamat logs 26 assists in loss

CHICAGO – DePaul volleyball dropped their final match of the Chicago Cup Saturday evening, falling to Loyola Chicago 4-1 (22-25, 25-21, 20-25, 13-25). The Blue Demons sit at 8-4 on the season.

Graduate student Jill Pressly recorded 20 kills and six digs, her third match with 20 or more kills on the season. Pin hitter Audrey Klemp registered 13 kills, while middle blocker Aly Kindelberger added her third match with double-figure kills, posting ten.

Senior Ashley Cudiamat matched her season-high of 26 assists, and fellow setter Amanda Saeger chipped in 21 assists on the night.

Libero Rachel Krasowski led the defense with 12 digs, while freshman Abby Cahill contributed nine digs of her own.

Loyola Chicago was paced by outside hitter Marta Cvitkovic with 15 kills, and setter Bree Borum, with 44 assists.

"A lot to take away from that match," said head coach Marie Zidek.

"Firstly, Loyola played tough. They made some great adjustments defensively that took away what would have been a kill for a lot of teams. Second, their setter had the match of her life. She was placing balls in position to get five attackers into double-digit kills. That was probably the best pure setter we have faced all pre-season. Third, I was proud that our team did not back down and fought in the second set to find their high gear. At the end of the day, they crippled our offense and we could not reach for more. It's a great lesson for us that the next gear awaits in our training gym on Monday. We end the preseason 8-4, which everyone should be proud of, and we now start our BIG EAST schedule. A lot of good so far, but a lot of building to do if we want to be playing into November and December."

HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE: The teams traded kills for the first five points, but a 5-0 run gave the Ramblers the lead in the middle of the set. DePaul pulled close late, with three kills from Klemp, but Loyola took the set 25-22.

SET TWO: Loyola jumped out to an early lead with two Cvitkovic kills, but three Rambler errors and a block from junior Grace Brooker allowed the Blue Demons to tie it at 15. Three more errors from the Ramblers and three Pressly kills earned DePaul the 25-21 set victory.

SET THREE: The Blue Demons opened in front with three more quick kills from Pressly, but the teams remained close until a 4-0 Loyola run pushed them ahead late. Kills from Kindelberger and Brooker could not overcome the deficit, and the Ramblers won the set, 25-20.

SET FOUR: Brooker and Pressly tallied early kills, but Loyola took the lead after three errors from the Blue Demons. The Ramblers retained the lead the rest of the way, with four kills from senior Olivia Lovett, taking the set 25-13.

UP NEXT
DePaul opens BIG EAST play against Xavier on Wednesday, September 25. First serve is set for 11 a.m. at McGrath-Phillips Arena. The Blue Demons will close their week at Butler on Friday, September 27 at 6 p.m. CT.

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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.