DePaul Sweeps St. John’s, Clinches BIG EAST Tournament Berth

Friday, November 13

Chicago, Ill.

7 p.m.

DePaul University

18-8,10-5Big East

St. John's

19-9,9-6Big East

Team	1	2	3	Final F
St. John's (NY)	23	29	20	0
DePaul	25	31	25	3

11/13/2026 10:04:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

Blue Demons lock up No. 3 seed with 3-0 win at McGrath-Phillips Arena

CHICAGO — DePaul volleyball (18-8, 10-5 BIG EAST) swept St. John's (19-9, 9-6 BIG EAST) 25-23, 31-29, 25-20 on Friday night at McGrath-Phillips Arena, clinching a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament and the No. 3 seed.

Kendall Timme led the Blue Demons with 17 kills without an error, hitting .531 on 32 attempts to tie the match high, and added 11 digs for her seventh double-double of the season. Jocelyn Paige hit .556, and Leonor Polezzi dished out 39 helpers. Timme and Abby Cahill each served three aces as DePaul finished with nine as a team. DePaul hit .286 and out-blocked the Red Storm 7-5. St. John's was led by Carola Tesoro's 17 kills and Lejla Hadžiredžepovic's 10.

"It was an incredible team performance when we needed it most, highlighted by Kendall Timme's banner night," said head coach Marie Zidek. "Our focus now shifts to Seton Hall as we aim to finish well, honor our seniors, and carry momentum into the BIG EAST Tournament."

The win sends DePaul to its fourth BIG EAST Tournament in program history and marks its first berth in the four-team format since the league returned to it in 2025. It also gives DePaul its highest BIG EAST Tournament seed in program history and its best conference tournament seed since the 1993 Great Midwest Conference Tournament, when the Blue Demons earned the No. 2 seed. DePaul's highest seed in its 10 seasons in Conference USA was No. 5 in 2001, the year it upset its way to the conference title.

It will be DePaul's fourth conference tournament appearance in six years, its most in a six-year span since 1999 to 2004, when the Blue Demons qualified in 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2004. The berth also builds on the program's turning point. The 2021 appearance snapped a 20-year conference tournament drought across all leagues and was the program's first postseason conference tournament appearance since the 2001 Conference USA title.

How it Happened
SET ONE | The set was tied 14 times and featured two lead changes. DePaul led 18-15 after a Timme ace, but St. John's answered to tie the set at 20-20, 21-21 and 22-22. The Blue Demons closed on a 3-1 run and had two set points, at 24-22 and 24-23, converting the second on a Timme kill for a 25-23 win. DePaul hit .455 in the frame, with Timme putting down seven kills on a .583 clip and Isabela Tavares Salomon adding five kills at .833.

SET TWO | St. John's led by as many as five points, 19-14, DePaul's largest deficit of the match. The Blue Demons answered with a 5-0 run to take a 21-20 lead, with Cahill serving four-straight points that included two aces. The set was tied 10 times and had seven lead changes. St. John's won three-straight challenges in the extended finish, reversing calls at 25-24, 26-27 and 28-29, before an unsuccessful fourth challenge confirmed DePaul's 30-29 lead. DePaul needed five set points to close out the 31-29 win after St. John's had two. Tavares Salomon and Jade Dudley-Epps combined on the block for the final point. Dudley-Epps hit .444 with four kills in the set.

SET THREE | St. John's jumped out to a 4-1 lead, but DePaul tied it at 4-4 on a Polezzi ace. After a 12-12 tie, the Blue Demons outscored the Red Storm 13-8 the rest of the way. Paige hit .600 with four kills, Timme added five kills and an ace, and DePaul led by as many as seven. St. John's scored three-straight to save three set points, but Timme put away the final kill for a 25-20 win.

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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!