Women’s Tennis to Face Creighton in BIG EAST Quarterfinals

Friday, April 17

Cayce, S.C.

12:00 P.M. CT

DePaul University

#7 Creighton

Women’s Tennis to Face Creighton in BIG EAST Quarterfinals

4/16/2026 4:49:00 PM | WOMEN'S TENNIS

Live Stats

Blue Demons look to knock off Bluejays for second time this season

CAYCE, S.C. – No. 2 seed DePaul women's tennis will face No. 7 seed Creighton in the BIG EAST Tournament quarterfinals on April 17, at 12 p.m. CT. After receiving a first round bye, the Blue Demons will battle the Bluejays after their first round victory over Butler. In the programs' first meeting of the year, DePaul won 7-0 against the Bluejays. This marks the fourth time DePaul and Creighton have matched up in the BIG EAST Tournament, with the Blue Demons holding a 2-1 record against the Bluejays at Cayce Tennis & Fitness Center.

In the January clash, DePaul performed dominantly, dropping only one set across all nine matchups. The tandem of Clara Nilsson and Hannah Smith prevailed 6-1 to open doubles play, followed by the duo of Yasemin Pehlivan and Sasha Stula also winning 6-1. Singles play mirrored that of doubles, with No. 1 court Stula, No. 2 court Smith, and No. 4 court Pehlivan all collecting points in straight sets. Roberta Sechi and Helin Alvarez also cruised to victories on No. 5 and No. 6.

DePaul wrapped up the regular season at 10-10, but 6-1 in BIG EAST action. After sustaining both winning and losing spells throughout the season, the Blue Demons enter the tournament battle tested, competing against ranked opposition throughout the year.

Since head coach Marisa Arce took over in 2019, DePaul is 7-6 in conference tournament play, and last reached the BIG EAST Tournament final in 2024. DePaul has reached the Championship match three times with Arce.

Hannah Smith, the senior from Silchester, England, will be competing in her final BIG EAST Championships.

BLUEJAY BLUEPRINT

Creighton is 14-6 on the season, and 3-2 in conference play. The Bluejays recorded conference wins over currently seeded No. 8 Marquette, No. 11 Providence, and No. 10 Butler and lost to No. 2 DePaul and No. 1 Xavier.
Creighton women's tennis head coach Tom Lilly is in his 29th season leading the program, and has reached one BIG EAST Tournament final, during the 2023 campaign.
The Bluejays are 1-9 against DePaul since 2016, with their only win a 4-3 comeback victory during the 2023 BIG EAST semifinals.
Creighton has found success at courts No. 5 and 6, posting win percentages over .700 across both spots throughout the year. Alem Cote paces the Bluejays in duals singles wins, recording 13 in 2026.

UP NEXT
The BIG EAST Tennis Championships continue with semifinal action beginning Saturday, April 18 at 12 p.m. CT from the Cayce Tennis & Fitness Center.