Seton Hall women’s volleyball faced the DePaul Blue Demons in BIG EAST Conference play on Friday night.
The Pirates battled throughout the match but fell to DePaul in four sets. After dropping the opening set, SHU mounted a second-set comeback before the Blue Demons won the final two sets to secure the 3-1 victory.
The Pirates struggled in the first set as DePaul established an early advantage. SHU kept the score close early, but the Blue Demons gradually pulled away. DePaul built a 20-10 lead and maintained control through the rest of the set, eventually winning 25-14 to take a 1-0 lead.
SHU responded strongly in the second set. Both teams traded points early, with neither side establishing a significant advantage. The Pirates eventually built a 17-12 lead, but DePaul rallied to take a 21-20 advantage, putting SHU in danger of falling behind by two sets. The Pirates responded by tying the score at 24 before winning the final two points to claim a 26-24 victory and even the match.
DePaul regained control in the third set, opening with a 5-0 run. The Pirates tried to cut into the deficit, but the Blue Demons continued to find scoring opportunities and extended their lead. DePaul maintained its advantage throughout the set, closing it out with a 25-16 win to move within one set of victory.
The fourth set was more competitive as SHU fought to extend the match. The Pirates overcame an early deficit and eventually took a 17-16 lead. However, DePaul responded with a late run, pulling ahead 22-19 before closing out the set with a 25-21 win to secure the match.
Junior Jade Epps led the Blue Demons with 19 kills, while Isabela Tavares-Salomon added 15 and Martina Diana contributed seven.
For the Pirates, Alondra Villanueva led the team with 11 kills, while Daria Safian recorded 10 and Loukia Papadakos finished with eight. Maddy Loiselle added seven kills. Gwen Adler recorded 17 assists, while Emilee Fuller contributed 13.
Defensively, Rylee Nelson led the Pirates with nine digs, while Fuller recorded eight. Adler and Samantha Shelton each finished with six digs.
DePaul finished with 52 kills and a .203 hitting percentage, compared with SHU’s 44 kills and a .097 hitting percentage. Despite the loss, SHU showed resilience in the second set, rallying late to even the match before DePaul took control in the final two sets.
The loss dropped the Pirates to 8-11 overall and 0-7 in conference play, while DePaul improved to 13-5 overall and 5-2 in the BIG EAST. SHU will look to bounce back Saturday when they face Marquette at 5 p.m.
Niall Stavros is a writer for The Setonian’s Sports section. He can be reached at niall.stavros@student.shu.edu.
