Defensive Wall Powers DePaul Volleyball Past St. John’s, 3–2

Sunday, October 18

Queens, N.Y.

1 p.m.

DePaul University

14-5,6-2Big East

St. John's

15-6,5-3Big East

Team	1	2	3	4	5	Final F
DePaul	25	25	21	22	15	3
St. John's (NY)	21	16	25	25	7	2

Defensive Wall Powers DePaul Volleyball Past St. John’s, 3–2

10/18/2026 5:37:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Blue Demons outlast Red Storm in five, earn 14th win

QUEENS, N.Y. – Powered by a dominant season-high 14-block performance, DePaul volleyball edged St. John's 3–2 (25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 22-25, 15-7) on the road for its 14th victory, marking the program's fastest start to 14 wins since 2013. The victory also capped the best 19-match start of the Zidek era.

"Unbelievable battle for that 5th set," said head coach Marie Zidek. "That match was a true battle of who was going to be able to stretch focus over the course of the afternoon long enough to turn it up when the match was on the line. Our block and defense came to play today, and there were incredible fixes towards the finish there on some defensive saves that really just won the match for us. Super proud of this team stacking two wins here on the East Coast."

Sophomore outside hitter Kendall Timme spearheaded DePaul's offense with a team-high 16 kills, adding nine digs and three blocks to her performance. Sophomore outside hitter Martina Diana tallied 12 kills and eight digs, while junior libero Abby Cahill led the team with 17 digs. Junior middle blocker Jade Dudley-Epps and sophomore right side hitter Isabela Tavares-Salomon were equally disruptive, recording 11 kills apiece. Senior setter Leonor Polezzi logged 40 assists, also picking up a season-high three blocks against the Red Storm. Collectively, the Blue Demons held a 56-51 kill advantage, doubling the Red Storm in blocks (14-6 edge).

How it Happened
SET ONE | DePaul hurried to a 14-9 lead over the Red Storm to open the first set before St. John's closed the gap on a 5-0 run to even the score at 14 apiece. Tavares-Salomon erased the Red Storm momentum with a monster block to take a one-point lead. St. John's stayed in stride with the Blue Demons up to a 19-17 score before DePaul shook them loose, winning six of the next 11 points to take the set 25-21.

SET TWO | The Blue Demons rode the first set momentum straight through the second, putting together a quick 4-0 run to take a 4-1 lead. DePaul recorded a crucial first of two service aces from Diana, pushing the squad to a 12-6 advantage. Timme notched the set-sealing strong kill, breaking down the Red Storm defense with a strike to the corner for a 25-16 victory.

SET THREE | St. John's responded in the third set, building a 9-3 lead with help from a block and two kills from freshman Carola Tesoro. The six-point advantage quickly turned to nine, and soon the Red Storm held a 23-16 lead. While DePaul held the Red Storm firmly at 23 points as it climbed to within four — 19-23 — it couldn't fully close the gap before Soheila Cirelli got the set-winning kill.

SET FOUR | St. John's struck first in the fourth, but DePaul dug in defensively to keep the Red Storm within striking distance, capping the lead at a manageable four points. Midway through the set, DePaul took its first lead, 11-10, with a kill from Timme before Polezzi notched a service ace to push the score to 12-10. DePaul reached as wide as a four-point margin before St. John's roared back, holding the Blue Demons stagnant at 17 points while racking up eight points of its own. Down 24-18, DePaul fought off four set points down the stretch of the fourth set, but St. John's held on to take it 25-22.

SET FIVE I The Blue Demons delivered big in crunch time. Though St. John's drew first blood in the final frame, DePaul immediately slammed the door with a 5-1 response, seizing a 5-2 lead and never looking back. Pushing to an 8-5 lead, DePaul's confidence grew, and the squad held St. John's scoreless for six points, bringing it to match point at 14-6. A slide-and-kill combination from Dudley-Epps ended the hard-fought match in flourish with a 15-7 score.

NEXT UP
The Blue Demons return from their stint on the East Coast and have a week to recover before hosting Xavier Saturday, Oct. 24. The home match is set to begin at 5 p.m. CT with coverage available on ESPN+.

FOLLOW THE BLUE DEMONS
Stay up to date with all things DePaul Volleyball at DePaulBlueDemons.com. For real-time updates, follow the Blue Demons on X, Instagram, and Facebook, or sign up for email updates and text alerts.

TICKET INFORMATION
Season ticket memberships are now live for the 2026 DePaul Volleyball season! Season ticket memberships include access to all 15 anticipated regular season matches at McGrath-Phillips Arena in Lincoln Park, plus an opportunity to purchase tickets for the Wintrust Arena match against Nebraska. Season tickets are available beginning at $79 for general admission and $129 for courtside seating! Want to bring your team to the match? Group ticket deposits are also available for parties of 10 or more. Visit DePaulBlueDemons.com/Tickets to reserve your seats today!