Blue Demons Down UConn 3-1 in Three-Hour Marathon

Saturday, September 26

Storrs, Conn.

3 p.m.

DePaul University

10-3,2-0Big East

Connecticut

7-8,0-2Big East

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
DePaul	26	38	26	25	3
UConn	24	40	24	20	1

Game Notes (PDF)

Blue Demons Down UConn 3-1 in Three-Hour Marathon

9/26/2026 6:51:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

DePaul completes perfect 2-0 road trip to open BIG EAST play

STORRS, Conn. – DePaul volleyball fought off a UConn team that wouldn't go away, grinding out a 3-1 win (26-24, 38-40, 26-24, 25-20) at the UConn Volleyball Center to complete a perfect 2-0 road trip to open BIG EAST play. The victory, which took nearly three hours and stands as the longest match of DePaul's season, pushes the Blue Demons to 10-3 overall, their best start to a season since 2015.

The second set alone took nearly an hour, with DePaul holding 13 set points before UConn finally escaped 40-38 in one of the highest-scoring sets in Division I this season. Rather than fold, the Blue Demons responded immediately, grinding out a back-and-forth third set 26-24 before closing out the match with a comfortable fourth set.

"What an epic battle: bodies flying all over the place, hustle and grit," said head coach Marie Zidek. "To play a second set 40-38, then come back and win the third 26-24, then keep our composure and make the adjustments to win that fourth set with a spread of points and service pressure, it was an all-around incredible show of courage and fight from the entire group. Our setters did a great job managing the match, and our defense got better from start to finish. By far our best win this year, because of what we had to do, the team we needed to become, and the game we needed to play to get it."

Kendall Timme led all players with a season-high 19 kills and 12 digs. Martina Diana turned in a career-high 16 kills while hitting .324, and Isabela Tavares Salomon added 13 kills at a scorching .375 clip. Leonor Polezzi ran the offense with 28 assists, four service aces and six digs, while Amanda Saeger posted a season-high in assists (20) and digs (10) off the bench. Libero Abby Cahill set a season high with 19 digs. As a team, DePaul hit .235 to UConn's .262 and finished even with the Huskies on digs at 66 apiece.

Saturday's win was DePaul's best of the season and the program's fastest start under Marie Zidek, its quickest climb to 10 wins in 11 years. It also came against one of the toughest non-conference slates in program history by both RPI and national rankings.

How it Happened
SET ONE | DePaul jumped out to an early 7-2 cushion behind its serving and attack, and though UConn chipped away and tied the set late, Tavares Salomon and Diana closed it out with back-to-back kills, 26-24.

SET TWO | The marathon set of the match, UConn clawed back from an early deficit and traded the lead with the Blue Demons deep into extra points, fending off 13 DePaul set points before Maja Daca finally ended it with a service ace, 40-38.

SET THREE | Polezzi and company answered immediately, building a 10-6 lead and trading points with UConn the rest of the way before DePaul pulled out a 26-24 win to retake control of the match.

SET FOUR | Timme took over down the stretch, and DePaul spread the ball around and turned up the service pressure to close out the match, 25-20.

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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, plus an opportunity to purchase tickets for the Wintrust Arena match against Nebraska. 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!