By Adam Cohen, Athletic Communications Assistant

GRANVILLE, Ohio. -- The Allegheny volleyball team fell to DePauw 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 25-23) in its first North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC) playoff game since Nov. 7, 2015. Allegheny finished the season with a 14-10 record.

The Gators had their fair share of opportunities in both the first and third sets. Both times, Allegheny nearly recorded a comeback. In the first set, the Gators trailed 11-7, but tied up the game 18-18. Allegheny and DePauw traded the next 10 points to make it 23-23 before DePauw closed out the win to take a 1-0 series lead.

The final set featured another back-and-forth game. Allegheny held a 9-2 lead before DePauw evened up the score at 12-12. The Gators were behind 18-15 before scoring five straight points. DePauw made it a 20-20 set, but Allegheny pulled ahead 23-21 thanks to a kill by Clarissa Miller (Hopkinsville, KY./University Heights Academy) and a ball-handling error. Despite Allegheny's slim two point lead, DePauw won the next four points to advance in the playoffs. 

All-NCAC selection India McCruter (Columbus, Ohio./Hilliard Davidson) helped keep the Gators within the contest by producing a team-high 14 kills. Her hitting percentage of .667 established broke the school record for hitting percentage in a three set match. Other contributors included Meagan Robare (Moon Township, Pa./Moon Area) who had two aces and 14 assists, while Olivia D'Andrea (Pittsburgh, Pa./Serra Catholic) also reached double digits with 16 assists of her own. 

Defensively, McCruter issued six blocks and senior Kate Christie (Schenectady, N.Y./Niskayuna) compiled 12 digs to end her Allegheny volleyball career. 

Allegheny's playoff-bound season occurred in large part due to its 14 wins — the most since 2015 when the Gators had 18 victories.