Box Score

CHICAGO – The DePaul Blue Demons defeated the Butler Bulldogs 3-2 on Wednesday afternoon at McGrath Phillips Arena (20-25, 25-19, 15-25, 25-20, 15-11). The setback moves Butler to 13-8 overall with a 2-3 mark against BIG EAST opponents.
 
The Bulldogs have not found much success this season when moving to a decisive fifth-set. The team is now 1-5 this year in five-set matches, including 0-2 vs. conference foes.
 
Myah Reed and Colleen Smith led DePaul to victory. Reed posted a match-high 21 kills on 44 swings to post a .318 attack percentage. Smith was in the box score with 50 assists and 11 digs to post a double-double.
 
Butler had three players reach a double figure kill total at DePaul. Freshman Brooke Gregory led the team with 13 while posting a .296 attack percentage. Anna Logan added 12 while Whitney Beck contributed 11.
 
Makayla Ferguson set up the action for Butler, ending the contest with a team-high 49 assists. Ferguson and Logan added six digs apiece on the defensive end, a category that was led by libero Taylor Takeda who recorded 11.
 
Butler controlled the action at the net by posting 14 team blocks compared to just eight from the Blue Demons. Bri Lilly led the team with seven, meanwhile Logan and Gregory each chipped in with four.
 
The Bulldogs came out on top in set one after leading for most of the game. A quick 4-0 run in the opening stages of competition would give BU a 6-2 cushion, however DePaul would battle back to tie the score at 8-8. After a point from each side, Butler would go on another run, this time 4-1 to once again create some wiggle room.
 
The Blue Demons would call for a timeout and climb back into the action at 20-19. The comeback would fall short however with Butler scoring four-straight to get to set point. After a kill from Caitlyn Coffey, Butler would clinch the win with a kill from Gregory off the Ferguson assist.
 
Gregory, Logan and Beck all played very well for Butler in the first set. Each player recorded four kills for BU and hit at a .300 clip or higher.
 
Set two was tight at the start, but a strong finish from DePaul would send the teams into intermission tied at 1-1. The Blue Demons used a 6-0 scoring run to open up a 13-8 advantage. Butler would counter with a 5-1 scoring run to get back within two points at 18-20. The next scoring run would be the difference maker as DePaul came up with three-straight points to go up 23-18. Butler added one more point, before the end of the set, but a BU service error would give the home team a 25-19 win.
 
The most lopsided set of the afternoon came after the stoppage as Butler cruised to a 25-15 win. The set started with Butler scoring seven of the first nine points. BU led 12-4 at the midway point and would go up 2-1 in the match after a dominating performance. BU posted a .393 attack percentage in the third compared to just .034 from DePaul. Team blocks also favored Butler 5-1.
 
Set four started much like set three for Butler as the Bulldogs opened up a nice 5-2 lead. The turning point in the match came soon after however with DePaul scoring six-straight to grab the momentum and open up an 8-5 lead. The two teams came together at 9-9 and wouldn't separate until 20-20.
 
Crunch time belonged to the home team in this one as DePaul scored five-straight points to push the match to a fifth set. Brittany Maxwell and Claire Anderson combined for three of the five points during the scoring run, allowing DePaul to stay alive.
 
The fifth and final set was close at the start, but another late scoring run from DePaul would give the Blue Demons the 3-2 win. Butler tied the match at 11-11 only to see DePaul score the final four points of the contest. Reed was an impact player in the fifth as the outside hitter came up with five of her 21 kills in the finale. Butler only recorded five kills total in the fifth with Logan leading the way with two.
 
Butler will return to action this weekend with a 4 PM match vs. Xavier on Saturday, Oct. 8. Admission to the match will be free of charge courtesy of PPG Paints.