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Late Rally Falls Short for Blue Demons in Pittsburgh
Oct. 9, 2011 PITTSBURGH, Pa. - A solid attacking effort was not enough for the DePaul volleyball team on Sunday afternoon as it fell in four sets to Pittsburgh on the road. The loss drops the Blue Demons to 4-14 overall and 1-5 in BIG EAST Conference play. The first set saw the two squads play tight and close. Although DePaul registered 15 kills in the frame compared to just 12 by the Panthers, the Blue Demons committed nine errors in the set which gave Pittsburgh the 25-22 edge. In the second set, the Panthers' offense went on a tear. While DePaul swatted down seven kills, it also committed eight errors on the attack. The Pittsburgh defense stymied the Blue Demon offense and the Panthers made just one error, leading to a 25-12 final score in the set. Down two sets to none, the Blue Demons rallied again. As has been the case for much of the season, the third set showed DePaul’s ability and potential. Freshman Amy Lanski stepped up for DePaul and the Blue Demons pulled out a commanding third set victory. Lanski notched five kills in the set with just one error, finishing the match with 16 kills total. DePaul forced eight Pitt errors and held the Panthers to a .000 hitting percentage, leading to a 25-22 third set win. In the fourth frame, DePaul continued to put pressure on the Panthers. With the score at 11-10 in favor of Pittsburgh, however, the Panthers pulled away. While Anastasiya Shutava knocked down four kills and committed no errors in the set, DePaul’s .357 hitting percentage was not enough to surmount Pittsburgh’s .467 hitting percentage in the frame. The final set saw Pittsburgh grab a 25-20 score and take the match three sets to none. DePaul returns home next weekend for a Friday night match against Notre Dame. The match will take place as a part of Blue Madness at 7 p.m. in the McGrath-Phillips Arena.
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