The DePaul volleyball team hosts Northern Illinois on Tuesday before hitting the road for a pair of BIG EAST Conference matches this weekend. The Blue Demons play at Georgetown on Friday and at USF on Sunday.
CHICAGO -- The DePaul volleyball team hosts Northern Illinois on Tuesday before hitting the road for a pair of BIG EAST Conference matches this weekend.
The Blue Demons (1-10) welcome Northern Illinois to McGrath Arena for a 7 p.m. match on Tuesday. Tabbed as one of the best matches of 2007, DePaul won the grudge match 3-2 last season in DeKalb; however, the Huskies lead the overall series 13-4.
DePaul opens BIG EAST play in Washington D.C. on Friday. The Blue Demons and Hoyas square off at 6 p.m. (CST) in McDonough Arena. Georgetown holds a 4-3 series advantage over Georgetown, however DePaul won last year's meeting 3-0 in Chicago.
Following a Saturday travel day, the Blue Demons end the week with a noon match at USF on Sunday. The Bulls hold a 11-5 all-time series advantage and have won the last two matches. DePaul's last series win came in 2005 which marked the program's first BIG EAST victory.
Blue Demon Hits
DePaul is in its fourth season as a member of the BIG EAST and are 0-3 in conference openers...DePaul is 3-39 all-time in BIG EAST play... 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... Fiedler ranks ninth in the BIG EAST with a .332 hitting percentage... Sarah Cullen has eight double-doubles (kills-digs) this season... with 157 kills Cullen ranks fifth in the league... the Blue Demons have dropped their last six matches... DePaul lone win is a 3-2 win over James Madison on Sept. 6... although 1-10, the team has only lost two matches 3-0, while they have played six, four set and three, five set matches.
Unleashing the Huskies
Northern Illinois is 7-6 and has won five of its last six matches... Meag Schoenrock leads the Huskies with 215 kills... Schoenrock averages 5.00 kps and 1.47 dps... has two common opponents with DePaul... defeated Loyola-Chicago and Bradley 3-0 on their home court... all seven wins have been 3-0 victories... leads the all-time series with DePaul 13-4.
What Rocks in Georgetown
Georgetown is 6-3 and play Howard on Monday (9/22)... Sara Manley leads the team with 88 kills... Caitlin Boland has 279 assists on the year and ranks third in the BIG EAST with 11.16 assists per set... Vanessa Dorismond and Katherine Niesen are ranked one and two in the conference in attack percentage... Dorismond is first with .408 clip... Georgetown leads the all-time series 4-3.
Taming the Bulls
USF has won its last four matches and claimed the USF Tournament Title last week... the Bulls face Notre Dame on Friday before facing the Blue Demons on Sunday... All-BIG EAST performer Marcela Gurgel leads the team and conference with 242 kills... Gurgel also leads the team with 32 service aces while she is second on squad with 118 digs and is third with a .303 hitting percentage... USF leads the all-time series 11-5.
Sensational Sarah x2
Junior outside hitter Sarah Cullen was named to the DePaul Invitational All-Tournament team after leading the Blue Demons with 54 kills and a pair of double-doubles. Against Ball State, Cullen tallied a career-high 21 kills. For an encore, the junior was named to the Hawkeye/Holiday Inn Challenge All-Tournament team the following weekend. During the challenge, Cullen average 4.55 kills per set and registered double-doubles against Portland and Tulsa.
All-Tournament Twice
Jacie Fielder was named to the all-tournament at the Chicagoland Classic and the Golden Bear Invitational. At the Chicagoland, Fiedler tallied 24 kills and team-best .310 attack percentage. Fiedler outdid her opening weekend performance at the Golden Bear Invitational the following weekend. She again led DePaul with a .415 attack percentage and 42 kills. Against No. 5 Cal, Fielder registered a season-high .667 (14-0-21).
BIG EAST Fiedler
Jacie Fiedler was named to the BIG EAST weekly honor roll after being named to the Golden Bear Invitational all-tournament team. Fiedler led the Blue Demons with a .415 attack percentage and 42 kills (3.50 kps) in three matches at Cal. Fiedler also led DePaul with five total blocks on the week.
Hawkeye/Holiday Inn Challenge
DePaul struggled at the Iowa tournament, dropping matches to Tulsa, Iowa and Portland State. The Blue Demons pushed Tulsa and Portland State to four sets, but were unable to take home a "W" from the tournament. Sarah Cullen was named to her second all-tournament team of the season by averaging 4.55 kills per set.
DePaul Invitational Review
The Blue Demons stumbled last weekend at the DePaul Invitational, dropping matches to tournament champion UTSA, Ball State and Denver. Junior outside hitter Sarah Cullen was named to the all-tournament team after tallying 54 kills and a pair of double-doubles (kills-digs).
Golden Bear Recap
The Blue Demons grabbed their first win of the season with a 3-2 come from behind victory over James Madison at the Golden Bear Invitational. Jacie Fiedler was named to the all-tournament team after leading the Blue Demons with a .415 attack percentage and 42 kills (3.50 kps) in three matches. Fiedler also led DePaul with five total blocks. DePaul started out the tournament by dropping matches to No. 5 Cal and UC Riverside.
2008 BIG EAST Championship
The 2008 BIG EAST Volleyball Championship will be conducted Nov. 21-23 in Pittsburgh, Pa. The single-elimination tournament includes eight of the league’s 15 teams. The top eight teams, based on regular season conference records qualify for the event and are seeded according to their finish in the league standings. The 26th annual championship will be hosted by the University of Pittsburgh at the Fitzgerald Field House. ESPNU will air the championship game live on Nov. 23. The champion receives the league’s automatic bid to the 64-team NCAA Division I Women’s Volleyball Championship.
Louisville Favorites
The Louisville Cardinals are the top choice in the 2008 BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll. Eight of the BIG EAST’s 15 head coaches gave Louisville first-place votes, edging out defending conference champion St. John’s, which had four first-place tallies.
