Pirates Fall to DePaul, Finish Weekend With Sweep of Xavier

Published: Sunday, November 3, 2024

by Darren Worrell, Chris Jones

The Seton Hall Pirates (9-14) had a frustrating start to their weekend, as they fell on the road to the DePaul Blue Demons (16-8) on Friday, three sets to one. The Pirates found their footing against the Xavier Musketeers (9-13) on Sunday though, as they pulled off a sweep in three sets. 

Seton Hall opened the weekend against DePaul, taking a 1-0 lead with a 25-23 win in a close first set. DePaul's strong serving, including an ace from Nora Mannion, put them ahead early, but Seton Hall answered with kills from Grace Turner and Perri Lucas. Setters Madison Klungel and Amanda Saeger directed the offense as both teams made substitutions. Seton Hall ultimately pulled ahead with key kills by Lucas and an ace from Asli Subasili, and Lucas clinched the set with a final kill.

DePaul dominated the second set, winning 25-13 through aggressive offense led by Aly Kindelberger, Jill Pressly, and Audrey Klemp, with setter Amanda Saeger directing plays. Seton Hall's Asli Subasili and Madison Klungel provided some resistance with blocks, but DePaul held its lead. Klemp’s back-to-back kills clinched the set, evening the match at 1-1.

DePaul took control early in the third set, building a lead with kills from Jill Pressly and Luisa Juncu, supported by setter Amanda Saeger. Seton Hall countered with blocks by Asli Subasili and kills from Senna Roberts-Navarro, but errors kept DePaul ahead. Despite a late push from Seton Hall, Pressly sealed the set with a final kill, giving DePaul a 25-22 win and a 2-1 match lead.

DePaul controlled the fourth set with consistent kills from Jill Pressly and Audrey Klemp, aided by Amanda Saeger's assists. Seton Hall fought back with blocks and a service ace from Faith Lamacchia, but errors and DePaul’s aggressive play widened the gap. Rachel Krasowski’s kills and aces extended DePaul’s lead, and Pressly’s final kill sealed the set at 25-13, giving DePaul a 3-1 match victory.

The Pirates regrouped and traveled to Cincinnati for a Sunday match against Xavier. Seton Hall had not won a match since Oct. 16 and had claimed only four of their last 12 sets. The Pirates targeted the Musketeers to channel their frustrations.

In the first set, Seton Hall set the tone early, taking a 12-5 lead. The Pirates disrupted Xavier's rhythm with solid saves and their ability to find open space on the court, forcing the Musketeers into eight errors, including three service errors. Xavier struggled to get the ball over the net, allowing Seton Hall to dictate the game. The Pirates dominated the set, with only one lead change occurring at the beginning when Xavier scored the first point.

Moving to the second set, the Pirates maintained their momentum, jumping to a 5-1 lead, with four of those points coming from Xavier's attacking errors. The Musketeers found their rhythm and responded with a 5-2 run to take an 8-7 lead.

The set turned into a back-and-forth battle, requiring extra points as both teams were tied at 25-25. However, Seton Hall took control with a kill from Perri Lucas and an attacking error by Margo Kemp, leading 2-0 heading into Set 3.

As Seton Hall aimed for the sweep, it started strong by forcing errors and jumped to a 3-0 lead. The Pirates maintained a cushion, not allowing the Musketeers to get within three points until the score reached 17-14. After a service ace from Asli Subasili, Xavier kept fighting, repeatedly tying the game. The set featured seven ties, but when the score hit 23-23, it ended like the last. A kill from Senna Roberts-Navarro, combined with an attacking error from Xavier, secured a 3-0 sweep for Seton Hall against the Musketeers.

With the BIG EAST Tournament still about a month away, Seton Hall has six more matchups ahead. The Pirates will return to South Orange to face the UConn Huskies in Walsh Gymnasium. Game day is set for November 8, with the first serve scheduled for 5 p.m.

Darren Worrell can be reached at darren.worrell@student.shu.edu.

Chris Jones can be reached at chris.jones@student.shu.edu. 

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