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Dig Pink Raises over $1,000 for the American Cancer Society
CHICAGO - Adorned in a pink jersey, Kate Letcher drilled down a match-best 10 kills against Notre Dame on Friday evening at McGrath Arena. Both squads wore the alternative jerseys tonight for Dig Pink, a volleyball match to raise money and awareness for breast cancer. Although the Blue Demons suffered a 3-0 (25-14, 25-21, 25-12) loss on the court, they still tallied the 'W' off the court, raising over $1,000 for the American Cancer Society.
Letcher's 10 kills on a .217 attack percentage were followed by eight put aways from the swing of Chandler Carney. Defensively, Sarah Cullen paced the floor with 13 digs, while Chelsea Thurlby and Katherine Knutson also surpassed the double digit plateau. The Irish protected their untainted BIG EAST Conference record and improved to 13-4 overall (8-0 BIG EAST). DePaul dropped to 6-16 and 0-8 in league play. The Blue Demons came out swinging in the first frame, registering nine kills compared to Notre Dame's seven. While a number of attack errors gave the Irish the advantage, sound defense from Cullen and Thurlby kept the score even during the first half of the game. The Irish were able to muster a 5-0 run behind the talented service of Jamel Nicholas to take a decisive lead, and finished the set 25-14. Notre Dame sprinted to a 13-1 lead in the second stanza, but the resilient Blue Demons fed off of three service aces from Christy Landschoot to begin shaving points off the Irish lead. After Geiger made her way through the serving rotation, DePaul had cut the early 12 point lead in half as the scoreboard read 21-16. With Landschoot at the service line once again, she was able to force a Notre Dame error and bring the Blue Demons within three. Serinity Phillips tagged down two kills to end the match 25-21. Despite a .364 (5-1-11) offensive effort from Letcher, Notre Dame controlled the overall tempo at the net with 14 kills. Notre Dame cruised to an early lead and finished the final game, 25-12. Phillips led the Irish eight kills, while Nicholas protected the backcourt with 10 digs in addition to a floor-best 23 assists. The Blue Demons return to McGrath Arena on Tues., Oct. 27 to face regional rival UIC. BIG EAST action resumes the following Saturday as DePaul welcomes Rutgers to Lincoln Park for an afternoon match. The weekend concludes on Sunday against Seton Hall. Noting the Blue Demons
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