Aug. 26, 2010
Weekly Notes 
BlueTube: Head Coach Nadia Edwards
CHICAGO - The DePaul Volleyball team begins its season playing host of the Chicagoland Classic. The Blue Demons begin play at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 27 at McGrath Arena playing against UIC. Loyola-Chicago is scheduled to play Northwestern at 5 p.m. to open the tournament.
The Chicagoland Classic is set to have the winners of Friday's matches play a Championship Match on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. while the losers play a Consolation Match at 5 p.m.
Last season had its up and downs but with the confident leadership of first year coach Nadia Edwards the Blue Demons have a new attitude. The preseason has provided a chance for the team to improve and grow together.
DePaul vs. Chicagoland Classic Participants
The Blue Demons are 24-52 against the 2010 Chicagoland Classic participants... DePaul is 15-19 against the Flames... DePaul has won 10 matches in 35 chances against the Ramblers.... DePaul looks for its first win against Northwestern... Northwestern has won all eight prior matches.
Coach Edwards
Assistant coach at Ohio State and Ohio University... Edwards played at Penn State alongside UIC's head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley... During her collegiate career she compiled an impressive 71-2 record including a national championship in 1999.
One More Year
Senior Kate Letcher hit 177 kills and had 45 total blocks with .217 hitting percentage in 2009... Senior Katherine Knutson had a total of 198 digs in 2009... Senior setter Christy Landschoot enters the season with 2,433 career assists, fifth in DePaul's record books.... Landschoot is 383 assists behind Sheila Carroll's 2,816.
Blue Demon Leaders
Junior Lauren Blasi the returning frontline leader with 204 kills and 48 total blocks a season ago... Sophomore Chelsea Thurlby the returning backline leader compiled 295 digs in 2009... Thurlby averaged 10.17 digs per match... Sophomore Sammy Geiger led the team with a .225 hitting percentage and also led in assists with 695 last season.
New Faces
Chelsea Kirkpatrick, Genesis Reyes, Natalie Rizzo, Allyson Rooks and Anastasiya Shutava are all incoming freshman for the Blue Demons and look to contribute in the Chicagoland Classic... Kirkpatrick, a Greenwood, Ind. native, led her high school team to a record of 33-3 in her senior season and advanced to the 4A State Semifinals... Reyes a Bayamon, Puerto Rico native, was the captain of her high school team, Colegio Marista, for four years... Rizzo, a Lombard, Ill. native, collected a team-high 193 kills and a .351 hitting percentage in her senior season at Glenbard East ... Rooks, a Zeeland, Mich. native, earned All-Region, All-Conference and Class B Third-Team All-State honors as a senior at Holland Christian... Shutava, a Minsk, Belarus native, finished her high school career playing for Republic College of Olympic Reserve.
Starting Off
In 2009, DePaul opened the season with two consecutive victories. Since 1982, the Blue Demons are 15-13 in their season openers.
2010 Flames
2009: 16-18 overall, 8-8 Horizon League (5th ). Head Coach: Katie Schumacher-Cawley (Penn State, 2002). Second season at Illinois-Chicago (16-18) Starters Returning/Lost: 6/0 Key Returners: Epiphany Davis (Sr., MB): 103 total blocks, 269 kills, .240 hitting percentage; KelseySafranek (So., OH): 314 kills, 57 total blocks; Casie Sullivan (Sr., OH): 403 kills, 349 digs, 37 total blocks.
2010 Ramblers
2009: 12-17 overall, 5-11 Horizon League (T-6th) Head Coach: Marcie Wolbeck (Notre Dame,2002). Sixth season at Loyola (67-83), seventh season overall (77-101). Starters Returning/Lost: 3/3 Key Returners: Mallory Curran (Sr., MB): 195 kills, .270 hitting percentage, 101 total blocks; Colleen Francis (Sr., OH): 314 kills, 291 digs; Natalie Pounovich (Jr., MB); 177 kills, .253 hitting percentage, 92 total blocks.
2010 Wildcats
2009: 16-16 overall, 7-13 Big Ten (6th) Head Coach: Keylor Chan (Florida, 1995). Eleventh season at Northwestern (138-170) Starters Returning/Lost: 5/1 Key Returners: Sabel Moffett (Sr., MB): 398 kills, .349 hitting percentage, 165 total blocks; Elyse Glab (Sr., S): .226 digs, .246 hitting percentage; Naomi Johnson (Sr., MB): 313 kills, .288 hitting percentage, 165 total blocks.
