DePaul University

CHICAGO - Senior Sarah Cullen closed out her DePaul volleyball career today at McGrath Arena in the final match of the 2009 season today against Georgetown.  Despite tallying a team-high 18 digs, Cullen and the Blue Demons were unable to make it past the Hoyas, and suffered a 3-1 defeat.  DePaul finishes the year with a 6-23 record (0-14 BIG EAST Conference), while Georgetown concluded the season 14-16 (4-10 BIG EAST).

Cullen finishes her career with 1,151 digs, 964 kills, and 509 assists.  Today, versus the Hoyas, she recorded nine kills and three block assists in addition to her 18 digs.  Lauren Blasi paced the Blue Demons with 10 kills, while Christy Landschoot managed the offense with 32 assists.  Also reaching the double-digit dig plateau were Chelsea Thurlby and Katherine Knutson, who had 14 and 10 digs, respectively.

The Hoyas were paced by Vanessa Dorismond, who tacked down a match-high 15 kills behind a .270 hitting percentage.  Kortney Robinson added 14 put aways, while Victoria Rezin set a single-season school record after registering 19 digs.

Controlling the tempo in the first frame, the Hoyas drilled down 15 kills compared the just seven from DePaul.  The Blue Demons kept pace with Georgetown in the opening points, but an 8-2 run proved to me too much for DePaul to overcome, and bowed out 25-15.  Dorismond and Sara Manley led the floor with five kills apiece.

The second set played exactly the opposite, as DePaul used precision hitting and tenacious defense to take a 25-18 win.  After falling behind 2-5, the Blue Demons mounted an offensive attack, fueled by kills from Blasi, Rachel Aumann, and Kate Letcher.  Tied at nine, Landschoot set up Chandler Carney for back-to-back kills to take their first lead of the game.  Knutson perpetuated the momentum, serving for five-straight points, including two service aces. While the Hoyas were able to string together a 4-0 run to prompt a Blue Demon timeout, an Aumann kill sealed game, 25-18.

Following the break, Georgetown came out with a vengeance, sprinting out to a 10-1 advantage behind the service of Kiersten McKoy.  DePaul continued to be aggressive at the net, however, and cut the lead to five after Carney terminated the ball with a put down.  The Hoyas continued to push forward, however, and closed out the set 25-18, led by six kills from the swing of Robinson.

The scoreboard read even for the much of the fourth game, as score was knotted seven times in the first half of the set.  Locked at 12, a 3-0 Hoya run would force DePaul to spend its second timeout to break the momentum.  A kill from Blasi, followed by Knutson's third ace of the match would being the Blue Demons within one, but another Georgetown run would give the Hoyas the advantage once more.  DePaul threatened the Georgetown lead once again, eliminating three match-points, but McKoy would nail down the final point to lift her team to a 25-22 win.

Today's match concludes the 2009 season.  Cullen finished the year with 312 kills and 316 digs to lead the Blue Demons in both categories.  With three total blocks today, Blasi brings her season block total to 48, while Knutson dished out 19 service aces to lead the team. 

Notes: Sarah Cullen finishes the season with 312 kills and 316 digs to lead DePaul in both catogore... with 2,432 career assists, junior Christy Landschoot inches closer to Sheila Carroll's 2,816 fourth place total on the all-time assists list.... senior outside hitter Cullen has nine double-doubles (kills-digs) this season and 36 in her career... Chandler Carney followed up her career-high 13 kills against Rutgers with team-high 25 versus Seton Hall... Landschoot dished out 50 assists against Seton Hall to set a new season-high and tie Sammy Geiger's 50 assists from earlier in the year... other Blue Demons to record double-doubles include Landschoot (assists-digs) and Sammy Geiger (kills-assists)... Kate Letcher has surpassed the 10-kill total eight times this season while Carney has eclipsed double digits six times... Cullen has reached double figures in digs during 17 matches to lead the squad, while Chelsea Thurlby has reached the plateau 15 times...Lauren Blasi leads in total blocks with 48... USF holds a 13-5 all-time series advantage over DePaul and have won the last four meetings... Georgetown leads the all-time series versus DePaul 6-3.