DePaul University

CHICAGO Despite the DePaul volleyball team hitting .310 for the match, Northern Illinois topped the Blue Demons 3-1 (20-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-23), Tuesday at McGrath Arena.  With the loss, DePaul falls to 1-11 while Northern Illinois improves to 8-6 on the season.

DePaul setter Christy Landschoot piloted her team's offense with a season-high 51 assists. Landschoot connected with her favorite target in outside hitter Sarah Cullen, who paced the floor with a career-high 23 kills for an impressive season-high .327 clip. 

Not to be outdone, Jacie Fiedler and Caitlin Callaghan also finished with double-digit kills totals for DePaul.  Callaghan collected 12 kills and 11 digs for her second double-double of season, while Fiedler notched a .370 attack percentage on 13 kills. 

With the Blue Demons swinging well, the Huskies did too as they hit .348 for the match and three players finished with double-digit kills.  Meagan Schoenrock led Northern Illinois with 22 kills. Irene Johnson paced the Huskies with a .429 clip (10-1-21).

DePaul came out strong in the first set and hit a match-high .471 in the stanza. Trailing by as many as five points DePaul road the arm of Cullen, who gave the squad its first lead of the set with kill at the 19-18 mark.  Cullen continued to terminate the ball well as she tallied four of her set-high seven kills in the final six points of the set.  DePaul claimed a 25-23 set one victory.

Northern Illinois answered in the second set by hitting a .394 clip on 17 kills. After trading points in the early portions of the frame, Northern Illinois used a kill by Katie Hoffman to take a 6-5 advantage.  The Huskies never looked back and won the second set 25-20.

Sustaining their momentum in the third frame, the Huskies opened an early seven point lead and did not allow the Blue Demons to close the gap.  Northern Illinois won the stanza 25-16.

In a must win fourth set, the Blue Demons jumped out to a 5-2 advantage and forced an early Huskie timeout.  Following the break, the two teams traded points before Northern Illinois knotted the set at 20 with a service ace.  The Huskies serve would come in handy as Monica Lang recorded an ace for the set and match point.  Northern Illinois won the third set 25-23.  

Northern Illinois libero Maddie Hughes paced the floor with 14 digs.

Cullen collected her ninth double-double of the season as she tallied a team-high 13 digs.  Mattie Boyd, who recorded her first collegiate start in a Blue Demon uniform, followed with 12 digs.

The Blue Demons swing into their BIG EAST Conference schedule this weekend.  DePaul takes on Georgetown on Friday at 6 p.m., and close out the weekend with a noon match at USF on Sunday. 

Notes: Jacie Fiedler has registered double-digit kill totals in 10 of the Blue Demons' 12 matches... Fiedler has finished 25 career matches in double-digit kill totals... Sarah Cullen has nine double-doubles (kills-digs) this season... the Blue Demons have dropped their last seven matches... although 1-11, the team has only lost two matches 3-0, while they have played seven, four set and three, five set matches... DePaul lone win is a 3-2 win over James Madison on Sept. 6... Northern Illinois leads the all-time series 14-4.