Despite a .217 attack percentage the DePaul volleyball team fell to Portland 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-14, 25-21) Saturday in final match of the Hawkeye/Holiday Inn Challenge at Iowa's Hawkeye Carver Arena. Junior Sarah Cullen was named to the all-tourna
IOWA CITY Despite a .217 attack percentage the DePaul volleyball team fell to Portland 3-1 (25-18, 22-25, 25-14, 25-21) Saturday in final match of the Hawkeye/Holiday Inn Challenge at Iowa’s Hawkeye Carver Arena. The Blue Demons (1-10) finish the tournament in fourth place, while Portland (5-10) takes home third.
Sarah Cullen was named to the all-tournament team after pacing the Blue Demons for the fifth straight match. Cullen tallied 16 kills, while Kate Letcher rounded out DePaul’s double-digit performers with 11 kills. Christy Landschoot dished out 42 assists and registered a team-high .429 attack percentage on seven kills.
With Landschoot piloting the offense, the Blue Demons came out on fire and hit .314 in the first set, but Portland was also hot as they swung for a.433 attack percentage and won the first stanza 25-18.
DePaul rebounded in the second set behind the hot hand of Cullen, who tallied seven of the Blue Demons’ 17 kills. Down 22-20, Cullen terminated three straight balls to force a Portland timeout and give the Blue Demons a one point advantage. Landschoot closed out the set with a kill and service ace to give DePaul a 25-22 victory.
With the match tied at one, Portland used a match-high .467 hitting percentage to take the third set 25-14. Jessica Clemens tallied four of her match-high 16 kills for Portland in the stanza.
After trailing in the early portions of fourth set, the Blue Demons tied the frame at 13 and forced a Portland timeout. Following the break, the Pilots went on a 7-2 run and took 20-15 advantage on a Blue Demon attack error. Portland won the final set 25-21.
Mattie Boyd made her DePaul debut and led a trio of Blue Demons in double-digit digs. Boyd recorded 12, while Landschoot added 11 and Cullen notched 10.
The Blue Demons host Northern Illinois on Tuesday, Sept. 23. Tabbed as one of the best matches of 2007, the Blue Demons won the grudge match 3-2 last season, but the Huskies lead the overall series 13-4. DePaul and Northern Illinois square off at 7 p.m. in McGrath Arena.
Notes: Jacie Fiedler has registered double-digit kill totals in nine of the Blue Demon's 11 matches... Fiedler has finished 24 career matches in double-digit kill totals... Sarah Cullen has eight double-doubles (kills-digs) this season... the Blue Demons have dropped their last six matches... although 1-10, the team has only lost two matches 3-0, while they have played six, four set and three, five set matches... DePaul lone win is a 3-2 win over James Madison on Sept. 6... the all-time series with Portland is now tied a one apiece.
