DePaul University Athletics
Friday, October 9
Chicago, Ill.
7 p.m.
DePaul University
vs
Villanova
Volleyball Opens Key Home Stretch Against Villanova, Georgetown
10/8/2026 5:41:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Blue Demons sit in six-way tie atop BIG EAST standings at 3-1
CHICAGO – Back at McGrath-Phillips Arena for the first time since its historic win over Marquette, DePaul volleyball (11-4, 3-1 BIG EAST) hosts Villanova (9-6, 2-2 BIG EAST) on Friday at 7 p.m. CT and Georgetown (10-5, 2-2 BIG EAST) on Saturday at 5 p.m. CT. Both matches will stream live on ESPN+.
DePaul is one of six teams tied atop the BIG EAST standings at 3-1. The Blue Demons are ranked No. 67 in the NCAA RPI, third among BIG EAST teams behind Creighton (No. 41) and Xavier (No. 46). It is their best ranking since Dec. 18, 2021, when they were No. 60.
"Villanova and Georgetown are both hungry to build on last week's momentum," said head coach Marie Zidek. "Villanova plays with speed and fearlessness, and with so much experience returning from last season's top-40 squad, any lineup they put on the floor will be competitive. Georgetown tells a similar story: all of their impact players are back, and they're looking to build on one of their highest league finishes in program history. Nobody fears anybody in this league, which should make for some great volleyball this weekend and another meaningful chapter in this season."
LAST TIME OUT
DePaul saw its 3-0 start to league play end with a 3-1 loss at Creighton on Friday (22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 17-25) at D.J. Sokol Arena. The Blue Demons arrived on a five-match winning streak after their first win over Marquette in nearly 20 years.
Kendall Timme led DePaul with 17 kills and nine digs, while Isabela Tavares Salomon added 12 kills and three blocks. Leonor Polezzi dished out 34 assists with 11 digs and three aces, extending her streak to six straight matches with three or more aces. Abby Cahill led the defense with 15 digs, and DePaul out-dug Creighton 48-39.
WILDCAT WATCH
HOYA HUDDLE
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 is one of six teams tied atop the BIG EAST standings at 3-1. The Blue Demons are ranked No. 67 in the NCAA RPI, third among BIG EAST teams behind Creighton (No. 41) and Xavier (No. 46). It is their best ranking since Dec. 18, 2021, when they were No. 60.
"Villanova and Georgetown are both hungry to build on last week's momentum," said head coach Marie Zidek. "Villanova plays with speed and fearlessness, and with so much experience returning from last season's top-40 squad, any lineup they put on the floor will be competitive. Georgetown tells a similar story: all of their impact players are back, and they're looking to build on one of their highest league finishes in program history. Nobody fears anybody in this league, which should make for some great volleyball this weekend and another meaningful chapter in this season."
LAST TIME OUT
DePaul saw its 3-0 start to league play end with a 3-1 loss at Creighton on Friday (22-25, 22-25, 25-20, 17-25) at D.J. Sokol Arena. The Blue Demons arrived on a five-match winning streak after their first win over Marquette in nearly 20 years.
Kendall Timme led DePaul with 17 kills and nine digs, while Isabela Tavares Salomon added 12 kills and three blocks. Leonor Polezzi dished out 34 assists with 11 digs and three aces, extending her streak to six straight matches with three or more aces. Abby Cahill led the defense with 15 digs, and DePaul out-dug Creighton 48-39.
WILDCAT WATCH
- Villanova swept Providence and UConn at Jake Nevin Fieldhouse last weekend to improve to 4-0 at home. The Wildcats are 2-4 on the road
- Picked second in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll, Villanova has Abby Harrell as the Preseason Player of the Year
- Campbell McKinnon ranks second in the BIG EAST in kills per set (4.14) and points per set (5.18) in league play and third in hitting percentage (.378) overall
- Harrell (3.03 kills per set) and Alyssa Nelson (6.72 assists per set) lead the offense, which ranks fourth in the conference in kills per set (12.97)
- Villanova leads the all-time series 19-10, including a 10-5 mark in Chicago. DePaul won the most recent meeting, 3-1 at Villanova on Oct. 24, 2025
HOYA HUDDLE
- Georgetown has won two-straight after sweeping UConn and beating Providence 3-1. The Hoyas open this trip at Marquette on Friday and are 0-2 on the road in BIG EAST play
- Fourth-year head coach AJ Bonetti led Georgetown to a 14-15 record last season
- Kamryn Lee-Caracci leads the BIG EAST and ranks fifth nationally with a .452 hitting percentage. Berkeley Ploder is second in the conference (.445) and eighth nationally
- Juleigh Urbina ranks third in the BIG EAST with 8.15 assists per set, and Bella McGirr is fourth with 4.19 digs per set
- Georgetown leads the all-time series 19-16, but DePaul holds a 9-8 edge in Chicago. The Hoyas won the most recent meeting, 3-0 in Washington on Oct. 25, 2025
DEPAUL DEBRIEF
- Polezzi was named BIG EAST Setter of the Week on Monday after totaling 83 assists, six aces and 27 digs against Marquette and Creighton. It is her fourth weekly award of the season and the first positional weekly award for a Blue Demon this year
- Polezzi has recorded three or more service aces in six straight matches, the longest active streak in NCAA Division I - she ranks eighth nationally with 34 aces
- Tavares Salomon earned a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll after recording 32 kills on .328 hitting over the weekend
- Polezzi leads the BIG EAST with 0.88 aces per set in league play and ranks fifth with 8.88 assists per set
- Tavares Salomon ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in kills per set (3.56), seventh in hitting percentage (.336) and eighth in points per set (3.72) in league play
- Timme ranks third in the BIG EAST in kills per set (3.61) and points per set (4.08) across all matches
- DePaul leads the BIG EAST with 2.25 aces per set in league play
- The Blue Demons are 6-3 at home this season and have won three-straight at McGrath-Phillips Arena
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 VOLLEYBALLThursday, October 01
Monday, September 21
Monday, September 21
Saturday, September 19