Oct. 26, 2008
Box Score
VILLANOVA, Pa. - The Villanova volleyball team kept the momentum going to complete an undefeated weekend with a 3-1 (25-23, 25-20, 22-25, 25-15) victory over DePaul on Sunday afternoon in Jake Nevin Fieldhouse.
The Wildcats improve to 13-11 overall and are 4-4 in the BIG EAST.
"After the emotional win yesterday it was good to come out and get another win today," head coach Josh Steinbach said. "We didn't play our best match, but we found a way to win and stayed strong at the end."
Freshman Morgan Petkovich led the Wildcats with 17 kills and just two errors as she hit a .333 clip. Fellow classmate Maggie Mergen notched 13 kills and had a .417 hitting percentage.
Senior Dana Tartazky turned in her second consecutive double-double as she tallied 10 kills and collected 16 digs. Freshman Kim Maroon also posted 16 digs in the match.
Junior Chelsea Graman gave out a match-high 44 assists.
Villanova got off to a slow start in the first set as the first timeout was called with the Wildcats trailing 12-8. After an attack error from the Blue Demons, Villanova had come within two points, 17-15, as DePaul took a timeout. A kill and an ace from Tartazky along with a kill from Petkovich tied the score at 20 each, with DePaul taking its final timeout. After the break senior Whitney Harrington connected on two kills and Petkovich found another to put VU ahead, 23-20. Petkovich connected on the final kill of the set as Villanova won, 25-23. Petkovich hit nine kills in the first frame.
Tartazky notched a service ace to put the Wildcats in front with a 10-9 advantage as DePaul called a timeout in the second set. The Blue Demons responded to tie the game at 14-14, but an ace from Maroon kept the Wildcats in front, 19-17. With a 24-20 lead, freshman Laurie McNamara hit back-to-back kills to secure the victory in the second set.
A kill from Graman tied the score at 12 each in the third set, but consecutive kills from the Blue Demons put them in front, 17-15. Villanova trailed 21-17 following a receiving error and called timeout to regroup. As play resumed DePaul hit two unanswered points and jumped ahead 24-19 following an ace. Though Villanova held off the set for three additional points, the Blue Demons won the third set, 25-22.
Villanova took its first lead in the fourth frame after an ace from Petkovich and pushed the lead to 10-7 following a miscue from DePaul. Senior Emily Brown served for three points and the Wildcats increased their lead to 20-12 after Harrington connected for a kill. DePaul would score just three additional points as a final kill from Mergen gave Villanova the match victory.
The Wildcats will hit the road as they face the conference's top team at St. John's on Saturday, Nov. 1 and will play at Connecticut on Sunday, Nov. 2. Both matches will begin at 2:00 p.m.
