Nov. 14, 2005

Box Score

Chicago, Ill. - Villanova (21-10, 8-6 BIG EAST) clinched a berth in the BIG EAST Tournament, the team's second bid in three years, with a 3-0 win over the Blue Demons of DePaul University (4-23, 1-13 BIG EAST) in the DePaul Athletic Center this afternoon.

The game scores were 30-12, 30-27, and 30-17. The 'Cats locked up the #8 seed in the conference tournament and will play #1 seed Notre Dame on Friday, November 18 at 12:30 p.m.

Villanova started game one down 2-0 after two attack errors. The Wildcats caught up and took their first lead, 6-5, after a Blue Demon attack into the net. `Nova fended off the persistent DePaul team, who cut the advantage to 11-10 on a service ace by Mandy Moorberg. The `Cats moved out to a 15-10 lead on an attack error by Moorberg. Villanova extended its edge to 11, 25-14, after senior outside hitter Celine Nguyen (Palos Verdes Peninsula, Calif.) connected on her second kill off an overpass at the end of a six-point run. Nguyen ended the game with a kill on the back line.

The second set wasn't decided until the last few points; it featured 14 ties and ten lead changes. `Nova took a 4-2 lead, but DePaul tied the score at 4-4 on a service ace by Denae Gibson. The two teams traded side outs until the Blue Demons edged out to a 10-8 advantage on an ace by Caitlin Callaghan. The Wildcats reclaimed the lead, 12-10, after a Blue Demon attack error. `Nova and DePaul traded side outs at 13 and 14; Villanova took a 15-14 lead on an off speed kill by freshman outside hitter Alona Cherkez (Crimea, Ukraine) and pushed that lead to 18-14 on a cross-court kill by senior outside hitter Dana Kabashima (Santa Monica, Calif.).

The Blue Demons hung with the `Cats and knotted the score at 19, 20 and 22 before taking the lead at 23-22 on a soft kill by Rochelle Meulemans. `Nova redoubled its efforts and took a 25-23 lead on a pair of Nguyen aces. DePaul again mustered two ties, at 25 and 26, before Villanova regained the edge for good, 27-26, on a cross-court kill from sophomore middle blocker Kacy Sellers (Battle Creek, Mich.).

Villanova ran out to an 8-1 lead in the beginning of the third game on a block by Sellers and Nguyen. The Wildcats extended their advantage to 14-5 on a service ace by freshman setter/defensive specialist Emily Brown (Glen Rock, Pa.). Two straight attack errors by the Blue Demons gave `Nova a ten-point lead, 18-8, and prompted a DePaul time out. `Nova kept up the pressure and began an eight-point run with three consecutive kills by junior setter/outside hitter Kelly Ludwig (Franklin Lakes, N.J.). A kill by DePaul's Aly Zavitz ended the rally with a kill, 28-12. The Blue Demons saved four match points, but Nguyen ended the match with an authoritative kill on the left side.

Villanova limited DePaul to .018 hitting as a team for the match and out-blocked the Blue Demons 8.0 to 5.0.

The Wildcats were led by Nguyen, who had a match-high 11 kills, and junior setter Jenna Link (Wheaton, Ill.), who posted her seventh double double of the season with 35 assists and 13 digs.