DePaul University Athletics
Friday, October 30
Chicago, Ill.
7 p.m.
DePaul University
vs
Creighton
10/29/2026 3:38:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Top-three teams in BIG EAST meet in three-match, four-day stretch
CHICAGO/MILWAUKEE – In the tightest BIG EAST race in more than a decade, DePaul volleyball (16-5, 8-2 BIG EAST) hosts Creighton (13-9, 8-2 BIG EAST) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT at McGrath-Phillips Arena, then visits first-place Marquette (14-6, 9-1 BIG EAST) on Sunday at 1 p.m. CT at Al McGuire Center. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.
DePaul sits one match behind first-place Marquette, which plays Creighton tonight at 6 p.m. CT. A Marquette win would put the Golden Eagles at 10-1, while a Creighton win would tie the two teams at 9-2 heading into Friday. DePaul then looks for its first win over the Bluejays since 2001 before chasing its first season sweep of Marquette in 25 years on Sunday.
"We've put ourselves in position to go for it down the stretch," said head coach Marie Zidek. "This weekend is a great barometer for us, a chance to see what kind of volleyball we can play when our high end is required for longer stretches. Creighton and Marquette are both very hard to kill the ball against, and both demand a commitment to the long rally, again and again, plus an aggressive serving mindset. Preparation has been similar to previous weeks, with an extra touch on block and defense. We know we'll have to steal kills and points this weekend, as every team approaches its high end late in October."
LAST TIME OUT
DePaul beat Xavier 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-13, 22-25, 15-11) on Oct. 24, rallying from a 6-3 deficit in the fifth set. Kendall Timme matched her career high with 23 kills on .322 hitting and added 10 digs, Leonor Polezzi had 42 assists and 15 digs for her third straight double-double, Isabela Tavares Salomon added 17 kills and Abby Cahill finished with 16 digs.
The Blue Demons followed with a 3-0 sweep of Butler (25-21, 25-23, 25-19) on Oct. 25. DePaul hit .295 to the Bulldogs' .155 and won the block battle 7.0-5.0. Jade Dudley-Epps had 13 kills on .632 hitting with two aces and three block assists. It was DePaul's seventh sweep of the season and its first four-match league winning streak since 2021.
BLUEJAY BRIEF
GOLDEN EAGLE GUIDE
DEPAUL DEBRIEF
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. 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!
DePaul sits one match behind first-place Marquette, which plays Creighton tonight at 6 p.m. CT. A Marquette win would put the Golden Eagles at 10-1, while a Creighton win would tie the two teams at 9-2 heading into Friday. DePaul then looks for its first win over the Bluejays since 2001 before chasing its first season sweep of Marquette in 25 years on Sunday.
"We've put ourselves in position to go for it down the stretch," said head coach Marie Zidek. "This weekend is a great barometer for us, a chance to see what kind of volleyball we can play when our high end is required for longer stretches. Creighton and Marquette are both very hard to kill the ball against, and both demand a commitment to the long rally, again and again, plus an aggressive serving mindset. Preparation has been similar to previous weeks, with an extra touch on block and defense. We know we'll have to steal kills and points this weekend, as every team approaches its high end late in October."
LAST TIME OUT
DePaul beat Xavier 3-2 (25-21, 23-25, 25-13, 22-25, 15-11) on Oct. 24, rallying from a 6-3 deficit in the fifth set. Kendall Timme matched her career high with 23 kills on .322 hitting and added 10 digs, Leonor Polezzi had 42 assists and 15 digs for her third straight double-double, Isabela Tavares Salomon added 17 kills and Abby Cahill finished with 16 digs.
The Blue Demons followed with a 3-0 sweep of Butler (25-21, 25-23, 25-19) on Oct. 25. DePaul hit .295 to the Bulldogs' .155 and won the block battle 7.0-5.0. Jade Dudley-Epps had 13 kills on .632 hitting with two aces and three block assists. It was DePaul's seventh sweep of the season and its first four-match league winning streak since 2021.
BLUEJAY BRIEF
- Creighton has won two straight and leads the BIG EAST with a .297 hitting percentage in league play. The 12-time defending regular-season champions have won 55 of their last 57 league matches, with their two losses this fall coming at the hands of Marquette (Oct. 4) and Georgetown (Oct. 18)
- Trinity Shadd-Ceres (2.43 kills per set), Ayden Ames (2.41) and Abbey Hayes (2.26) lead the attack, and Katie Dalton runs the offense at 8.44 assists per set
- Eloise Brandewie ranks second in the BIG EAST with a .385 hitting percentage in league play and averages 1.22 blocks per set. Saige Damrow is third in the conference with 4.31 digs per set
- Creighton leads the all-time series 30-1 and has won 30 straight over DePaul, the longest streak in program history against any opponent. DePaul's lone win came in 2001
GOLDEN EAGLE GUIDE
- Marquette has won seven straight, its longest streak since 2018, and is a perfect 7-0 at Al McGuire Center. The Golden Eagles are in sole possession of first place for the first time since 2021
- Carson Tyler leads the BIG EAST with 4.38 kills per set, and freshman setter Luanna Markus leads the conference with 9.88 assists per set
- Freshman Molly Welge ranks third in the BIG EAST with 1.20 blocks per set, and freshman libero Emi Juric averages 5.38 digs per set
- Marquette is 10-0 in three-set matches this season. DePaul handed the Golden Eagles their lone conference loss on Sept. 30, a 3-2 win at McGrath-Phillips Arena that ended Marquette's 30-match winning streak in the series, which dated to Nov. 1, 2008
DEPAUL DEBRIEF
- DePaul's 8-2 league start is the best of the modern BIG EAST era and ties the best in program history, dating to 1991. One more league win would be the best conference start in program history
- The Blue Demons are ranked No. 42 in the NCAA RPI, a program best, behind only Marquette (No. 36) and Creighton (No. 40) among BIG EAST teams
- Timme ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in league play in kills per set (3.38) and points per set (3.81). Tavares Salomon is eighth in kills per set (3.10)
- Polezzi ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in assists per set (9.07) and second in aces per set (0.62)
- Dudley-Epps ranks sixth in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.325). DePaul is third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.183)
- Jocelyn Paige was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Oct. 26 after totaling 11 blocks and seven kills against Xavier and Butler. Dudley-Epps and Timme earned BIG EAST Honor Roll spots
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. 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!
Players Mentioned
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/ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALLSunday, October 25
Sunday, October 25
Sunday, October 18
Sunday, October 11