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Blue Demons Fall in Three to Vikings
Sept. 9, 2011 CLEVELAND, Ohio - Despite a relentless effort in the third set, the DePaul volleyball team fell in straight sets to tournament host Cleveland State on Friday evening. The Blue Demons (3-5) fell 25-15, 25-9, and 25-23 to the Vikings (6-3). In the opening set, DePaul fell behind early and managed just one tie throughout the remainder of the contest. The Blue Demons kept it tight through the first 20 points of the match as they pulled to within two points, down 11-9. Rachel Aumann continued to deal for DePaul on the offensive front, but the Vikings took control, going on an 8-3 run to push their lead to 19-12. DePaul couldn't muster up a comeback in the match, garnering just three more points to Cleveland State's six. The Vikings established their largest lead of the match on set point and captured a 1-0 lead with a 25-15 score. The second frame saw Cleveland State take command early. The Vikings opened with the initial point of the set on a kill from Megan Barhorst but freshman Amy Lanski responded with a kill of her own to tie it. CSU countered with a 10-2 run to put the set out of reach of DePaul. Up 14-7, the Vikings rattled off seven consecutive points to make it 21-7 before taking four of the next six points to seal the second set victory at 25-9. Following the break, the Vikings tallied the first three points of the third set to put the Blue Demons in an early hole. Natalie Rizzo and Lauren Blasi did their best to keep it close, with the duo combining on a block and Blasi notching her fourth kill of the evening. A pair of Cleveland State errors combined with a Lanski kill and an Allyson Rooks service ace to bring DePaul to within two at 8-6. DePaul brought the score to 9-8 thanks to a block from Lanski and Rizzo, but the Vikings fought back with two of their own. A solid defensive effort allowed the Blue Demons back within a point at 12-11 as they continued to rack up blocks in the third set. Thanks to back-to-back kills by Blasi and Aumann, the Blue Demons leveled the set at 13. Cleveland State's Kara Koch, who finished with a match-high 14 kills, countered with a blast to regain the lead for the Vikings. Aumann brought it even yet again on the attack before DePaul took its first lead of the match thanks to a CSU error. The Vikings answered by taking six of the next seven before DePaul called a timeout. Energized by the short break, the Blue Demons tallied seven of the next nine points to snag a 23-21 lead. Aumann, Blasi, and Lanski led the DePaul surge to a 23-21 lead but the Vikings thwarted the Blue Demons comeback with four consecutive points to lock down the sweep with a 25-23 final set score. DePaul returns to action for its second match of the Cleveland State Tournament tomorrow morning in a 9:30 a.m. matchup against Duquesne. After taking on the Dukes, the Blue Demons face off against IPFW at 3:30 p.m. Notes: Kelsey Bowler racked up 30 digs in the match, 14 more than the next highest...Aumann collected a team-high seven kills to just one error...sophomore Briana Spruill made her Blue Demon debut registering one kill in one set played.
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