Blue Demons Host Xavier, Butler in Pivotal Homestand

CHICAGO – Continuing a historic stretch into the second half of the conference slate, DePaul volleyball (14-5, 6-2 BIG EAST) returns to McGrath-Phillips Arena for a pair of BIG EAST contests. The Blue Demons host Xavier (12-7, 5-3 BIG EAST) on Saturday, Oct. 24 at 5 p.m. CT, followed by a meeting with Butler (10-10, 4-4 BIG EAST) on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 3 p.m. CT. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.

Entering the weekend with its best NCAA DI RPI in program history, DePaul sits at No. 52 nationally, anchoring itself near the top of the conference standings.

"For all the expectations surrounding the strength of this league after an ambitious non-conference slate, it has certainly delivered: tight competition from top to bottom, riddled with huge wins," said head coach Marie Zidek. "What a wonderful journey it has been navigating this crucible, capped this weekend with our final two head-to-head, tie-break matchups at home before we see the other side of the draw in round two."

SWEET HOME CHICAGO

Record Start: DePaul's 14-5 overall record marks its best 19-match start to a season since 2013.
BIG EAST Highs: At 6-2, the Blue Demons hold their best start to BIG EAST play through eight matches.
Conference Pace: A 7-2 conference start would match the program's best league start dating back to 2001 in Conference USA; a milestone a weekend sweep would break outright.

LAST TIME OUT
DePaul completed a perfect 2-0 road swing last weekend, picking up a 3-1 victory at Seton Hall on Friday (25-14, 24-26, 25-16, 25-21) before outlasting St. John's in a thrilling five-set battle (25-21, 25-16, 21-25, 22-25, 15-7) on Sunday. Jade Dudley-Epps paced the attack against the Pirates with a career-high 19 kills on a .500 hitting clip, while Kendall Timme spearheaded the offense against the Red Storm with 16 kills as the Blue Demons racked up a season-high 14 team blocks to seal the weekend sweep.

"Xavier brings probably the fastest offense in the league, second only to Providence, so limiting their ability to get hot, especially in transition, will be key," said Zidek. "Our serve and defense have to be extra firm, show up to steal kills, and turn those into counterattacks for our arms. Butler is riding its pin players to a lot of success this season, so expect them to lean on those arms again."

MUSKETEER METRICS

The Matchup: DePaul trails 11-22 all-time against Xavier. The Musketeers have won the last two meetings, though DePaul captured the four previous matchups prior to that skid.
Scouting Xavier: Xavier enters the weekend at 12-7 overall and 5-3 in BIG EAST play. Head coach Christy Pfeffenberger leads a high-powered Musketeers offense that ranks first in the conference in conference-play assists (13.00 per set) and kills (14.13 per set).
Players to Watch: Outside hitter Charlotte Moriarty paces the Xavier attack with 3.42 kills per set (246 total), while libero Kelsey Niesen anchors the conference's top-ranked defense with 4.32 digs per set (311 total). Setter Macy Hatkevich runs the offense efficiently with 8.54 assists per set.

BULLDOG BITE

The Matchup: DePaul holds a 14-24 all-time record against Butler. The Blue Demons won the last meeting, with the two sides having alternated wins back-and-forth over the last four matchups.
Scouting Butler: Butler comes to Chicago standing at 10-10 overall and 4-4 in BIG EAST action. The Bulldogs feature a balanced squad led by head coach Kyle Shondell.
Players to Watch: Outside hitter Raegan Durbin leads the Butler offense with 2.55 kills per set (171 total), while Jersey Loyer paces the back row with 4.05 digs per set, ranking sixth in the BIG EAST. Ava Hunter directs the middle with a .364 hitting percentage.

DEPAUL DEBRIEF

Setting the Pace: Senior setter Leonor Polezzi orchestrates the offense efficiently, ranking second in the BIG EAST in assists per set (8.85) and second in service aces per set (0.61, 44 total).
Attack Leaders: Sophomore standout Kendall Timme anchors the offense, ranking third in the conference in kills per set (3.49, 251 total) and fourth in points per set (3.95, 284.5 total).
Defensive Anchor: Senior libero/defensive specialist Nora Mannion paces the back-row defense, averaging 2.85 digs per set (188 total).
Aces Wild: DePaul continues to overwhelm opponents from behind the service line, ranking second in the BIG EAST with 1.71 service aces per set (123 total).

"The battle for the league comes down to these last four weeks, and we've put ourselves in position to be relevant at this time of year," said Zidek. "What I love most about this group is how much they believe in their ability to create. We believe we can create our own outcome, and that's why we'll keep competing and go for it."

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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. 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!

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Players Mentioned

Jade Dudley-Epps

Nora Mannion

Leonor Polezzi

Kendall Timme

DePaul University Athletics