Blue Demons Fall 3-1, Take First Conference Set from Bluejays

Saturday, October 4

Chicago, Ill.

1 p.m.

DePaul University

Creighton

Blue Demons Fall 3-1, Take First Conference Set from Bluejays

10/4/2025 4:35:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Photo Gallery

CHICAGO – DePaul volleyball (9-5, 2-1 BIG EAST) fell to Creighton 3-1 (8-25, 29-27, 12-25, 17-25) on Saturday afternoon. Through four conference matches, the Blue Demons are the only team to hand Creighton a set loss, taking the second frame in a hard-fought battle, 29-27. The 14^th-ranked Bluejays improve to 11-5 overall and 4-0 in league play.

"Strong response from both teams after the opening set," said head coach Marie Zidek.

"Creighton showed why they are one of the league's best – maintaining consistency in serve and pass while applying pressure with aggressive serving. As the match progressed, our team responded by tightening our serve reception and becoming more tactical in transition. When the kill wasn't available, we made smarter choices that allowed our block to get involved and created counterattack opportunities we might not otherwise have had.

Once again, we showed that we are a program capable of taking sets off the top teams in the league. While moral victories aren't the end goal, they highlight the commitment our players have to the DePaul jersey – to competing with respect, intensity and belief against every BIG EAST opponent.We grew today, even if the scoreboard didn't reflect it. Tomorrow, we'll double down on that development against a very competitive Marquette team before heading east for critical road matches.

Finally, thank you to the crowd. The energy was felt on every point and our team deeply appreciated it."

DePaul freshman Kendall Timme paced the Blue Demon offense for the fifth consecutive match, adding 12 kills, while fellow freshman Eva Hurrle propelled the defense with 17 digs. The Bluejays were led by a match-best 13 kills from Ava Martin.

HOW IT HAPPENED:
SET ONE
Led by strong service from Martin, Creighton opened the match with a 9-0 scoring run, including four DePaul errors and a pair of kills from Kiara Reinhardt. Despite a pair of kills from Timme and one from Dudley-Epps, the Bluejays took the first set, 25-8.

SET TWO
The Bluejays jumped out to a quick 4-0 lead, led by another pair of kills from Reinhardt. DePaul battled back through the middle of the set, as Dudley-Epps added two kills and a block. Four kills from Jaya Johnson earned Creighton an 18-13 advantage, but the Blue Demons once again fought to keep within striking distance, aided by a pair of kills from freshman Morgan Stewart. After another Martin kill brought up Creighton's first set point, a Dudley-Epps kill and error from Johnson knotted the frame at 24 points apiece. Still even at 27, two clutch kills from Stewart won DePaul the second set, 29-27.

SET THREE
The teams traded points early, with a trio of Timme kills pushing DePaul forward. Two service aces and two Blue Demon errors permitted the Bluejays to take a 12-6 edge that they did not relinquish, with Martin and Johnson each contributing two more kills, en route to a 25-12 set victory.

SET FOUR
An ace from Stewart and kill from Timme gave DePaul the early lead, but Martin put the Bluejays back in front with a pair of aces and a kill of her own. The teams traded kills, with Stewart and Timme each adding two more for DePaul. A pair of Blue Demon errors and three more kills from Martin allowed the Bluejays to carve out a larger lead, 13-9. Despite three more kills from Timme and two from Dudley-Epps, Creighton closed the final set, 25-17.

UP NEXT
DePaul concludes its weekend at Marquette on Sunday, Oct. 5. First serve is set for 3 p.m. from the Al McGuire Center, with streaming available on ESPN+.

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