DePaul University
No. 4 Xavier
DePaul Opens Up BIG EAST Tournament Play on Wednesday
11/21/2023 7:47:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
No. 5 DePaul will matchup against No. 4 Xavier
CHICAGO - DePaul volleyball opens up postseason play with a first round matchup in the BIG EAST Tournament. No. 5 DePaul will take on No. 4 Xavier at the Al McGuire Center on Wednesday, Nov. 22. First serve is set for 5:30 p.m. CT.Â
Coverage of the match can be found on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.
Wednesday's matchup marks the second time in three seasons, and the second time in program history, that DePaul has made their way to the BIG EAST Tournament. The first appearance for the Blue Demons in the tournament was 2021.
"This team had to scratch and claw and battle for this opportunity," said head coach Marie Zidek. "Nothing came easy to us this season. I think that's given us a lot of confidence headed into our second BIG EAST Tournament ever. We know we have five sets and a truly prepared roster of 17 players to try and put together a good enough showing versus a good Xavier team in order to advance. These players have thick skin and are excellent when the pressure is on. It will take tough serving and finding balance early versus one of the best setters in league (O'Reilly) and then fixing well enough to keep our arms back on the ball. So thankful and excited for this opportunity."Â
SCOUTING THE MUSKETEERS
- Xavier earned the No. 4 seed in the tournament, with a final regular season record of 18-11 (11-7 BIG EAST).
- Xavier sits in third in the BIG EAST in kills (13.02 per set), fourth in hitting percentage (.213) and digs (15.66 per set) and fifth in assists (12.12).
- The Musketeers are led by All-BIG EAST selections Carrigan O'Reilly and Delaney Hogan. O'Reilly is seventh in the conference in assists, dishing out 8.47 per set. Hogan ranks third in hitting percentage, averaging a .346 clip.
- Stevie Wolf averages 4.28 digs per set, good for third in the BIG EAST. Â
- Christy Pfeffenberger is in her ninth season leading the Musketeers.
SERIES STUFF
Xavier leads the all-time series, 21-10. In their lone matchup of the season, the Blue Demons defeated the Musketeers in Cincinnati, 3-1.
BLUE DEMON BITS
- DePaul finished the regular season with a record of 16-13 (9-9 BIG EAST). This is the second BIG EAST Tournament in three seasons for the Blue Demons.
- DePaul leads the BIG EAST in blocks (2.30 per set), is second in digs (16.27 per set), and ranks third in both kills (13.02 per set) and assists (12.22 per set).Â
- Senior outside hitter Jill Pressly was a unanimous choice to the All-BIG EAST Team on Tuesday evening. Pressly leads the conference in kills per set with 4.42, which is good for 15th in the country. The Plano, Texas native also ranks first in points per set with 4.96.
- Senior libero Rachel Krasowski was named to the All-BIG EAST Team on Tuesday for the first time in her career. Krasowski leads the BIG EAST in digs per set, averaging 5.02 per set which ranks 21st nationally.
- Sophomore Katelynn Oxley was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll on Monday. Oxley recorded 11 blocks in the final weekend of the regular season and tallied seven kills on .700 hitting percentage against Seton Hall on Nov. 17. Oxley continues to lead the league in blocks per set, averaging 1.14.Â
- Maggie Jones and Ashley Cudiamat lead the squad in assists for the season. Jones ranks ninth in the conference, dishing out 6.63 assists per set while Cudiamat is in 10th with an average of 6.29 assists per set.
UP NEXT
The winner of Wednesday's matchup will face No. 1 Creighton on Friday, Nov. 24. First serve is set for 4 p.m. with coverage on the BIG EAST Digital Network on FloSports.
FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONSÂ
For all the latest information on DePaul Volleyball, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.Â
