Blue Demons Begin Seven-Match Home Stand

CHICAGO- DePaul volleyball hosts three matches in Lincoln Park this week, opening their home stand with Colorado State on Thursday, September 12. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. CT, and the match can be streamed on Marquee Sports Network here.

"The weekend is going to be really special for the team and the program," said head coach Marie Zidek.

"I spent a lot of time in the offseason trying to find opponents that could help us showcase just how exciting the game of volleyball is, and also find opponents from distinctly different regions to pull a crowd from a wide base. Colorado State is a heck of a way to start. They were picked to win their league, and they bring the sort of physicality that will prepare us for the BIG EAST."

The Blue Demons will continue their weekend with the DePaul / UIC Invite, matching up against Brown on Friday, September 13 at 7 p.m. CT, and Bowling Green State University on Saturday, September 14 at 5 p.m. CT. Both matches can be streamed on FloVolleyball here.

"Brown comes to Chicago hungry to build since the Ivy League starts later than the other divisions. They will be hungry to bring their Chicago players home and have a great performance," said Zidek.

"Bowling Green comes in hot from years at the top of the MAC Conference. With our 50^th season, it was important for me to celebrate our alumni and the strength of women's sports by showing that women can lead. All teams this weekend will be female led, with some of us mothers as well. This weekend provides competitive adversity that you thirst for as an athlete, and I'm excited to continue our journey of building this team"

SCOUTING THE RAMS (COLORADO STATE)

Colorado State senior Malaya Jones leads the Mountain West conference with 107 kills, averaging 4.65 kills per set
Colorado State has played matches against two ranked opponents as part of their non-conference schedule, losing to #11 Florida and #12 Oregon, both in four sets
The Rams enter the weekend on a two-game winning streak, taking down Central Arkansas in a four-set match, and defeating Grand Canyon in straight sets

SCOUTING THE BEARS (BROWN)

The Brown Bears open the 2024 season with a 2-1 record, falling to BIG EAST opponent Providence in five sets
In 2023, Brown head coach Taylor Virtue became the winningest first-year head coach in school history and mentored three First Team All-Ivy selections
The Bears return 11 letterwinners from a 2023 squad that posted a 19-7 record, including a 9-5 tally in Ivy League play

SCOUTING THE FALCONS (BOWLING GREEN)

The Falcons sit at .500 on the season, with five of their six matches decided in straight sets
Junior Lauryn Hovey leads the MAC conference in service aces, averaging 0.79 per set
Bowling Green adds six new freshmen for 2024, the largest class on their roster

SERIES STUFF

This is just the second meeting between DePaul and Colorado State, with the Rams taking the first meeting 3-0 in Fort Collins, Colo.
The Bears and Blue Demons meet for their first all-time matchup on Friday evening in Lincoln Park
Saturday will see the fourth match between Bowling Green and DePaul, with BGSU holding the all-time series 2-1

BLUE DEMON BITS

DePaul has won three consecutive home openers dating back to 2021, and they look to add a fourth on Thursday evening.
Rachel Krasowski became DePaul volleyball's all-time career digs leader against Tulane on September 6, 2024, surpassing the previous record of 1,950 digs set by Susanne Fogarty in 1991
DePaul has registered five different starting lineups in six matches, with 12 players tallying at least one start
DePaul freshman Amanda Saeger has made an immediate impact, with 118 assists in six matches and 2 double-doubles on the season.

UP NEXT
DePaul will continue their home stand when they host the Chicago Cup from Sept. 19-21. The Blue Demons face Milwaukee on Thursday, Sept. 19 to open the tournament, compete against UIC on Friday, Sept. 20, and close the week with a match against Loyola Chicago on Saturday, Sept. 21.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
For all the latest information on DePaul Volleyball, visit DePaulBlueDemons.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Blue Demons on X, Instagram and Facebook.

TICKET INFORMATION
Join DePaul Volleyball at McGrath-Phillips Arena this fall and join us in celebrating 50 years of Blue Demon volleyball! Season ticket memberships start at only $45 per seat and include access to all 15 regular season home matches! For an additional $30, upgrade your experience and sit courtside at McGrath-Phillips Arena! Fans can visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets for more information, including single-game tickets and group opportunities.

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Players Mentioned

Rachel Krasowski

Amanda Saeger