DePaul University Athletics
Wednesday, September 30
Chicago, Ill.
7 p.m.
DePaul University
vs
Marquette
Volleyball Hosts Marquette in BIG EAST Home Opener
9/29/2026 5:26:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
Streaks meet in Lincoln Park, DePaul and Marquette put 2-0 league marks on the line
CHICAGO – DePaul volleyball (10-3, 2-0 BIG EAST) returns to McGrath-Phillips Arena on Wednesday for its first home BIG EAST match of the season, hosting Marquette (7-5, 2-0 BIG EAST) at 7 p.m. CT on ESPN+. The Blue Demons opened conference play with road wins at Providence and UConn last weekend and have won four-straight.
"With both teams having developed well through the preseason and the first week of league play on the road, this has the potential to be a very good match," said head coach Marie Zidek. "It will likely come down to which team can squeeze out more counterattack opportunities through multiple runs and apply service pressure at the right moments to steal a few points. The margins in league play are razor thin, so hopefully we can keep our momentum high and stay after our opponent. We've become great responders and have played well under pressure, and it's nice to have another match that could be as close as that UConn marathon, so we can see how to sustain that and keep building."
DePaul's 10-3 start is its best since 2015 and the fastest under head coach Marie Zidek. Wednesday's match pits two unbeaten league teams against each other, with Marquette entering on a four-match winning streak.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blue Demons opened BIG EAST play with a 25-22, 25-21, 25-13 sweep at Providence. Isabela Tavares Salomon led all players with 12 kills on .321 hitting, while Leonor Polezzi directed the offense with 31 assists and four service aces. Abby Cahill anchored the back row with 11 digs and a .933 serve-receive percentage as DePaul hit .245 as a team.
DePaul followed with a 26-24, 38-40, 26-24, 25-20 win at UConn in a match that stretched three hours. The 38-40 second set was one of only two sets this season to reach 78 total points, matching Brown's 40-38 fourth-set win over Rhode Island on Sept. 5 as the highest-scoring set of the year. Kendall Timme led all players with a season-high 19 kills and 12 digs, while Martina Diana posted a career-high 16 kills on .324 hitting. Tavares Salomon added 13 kills at a .375 clip, and Polezzi contributed 28 assists and four aces. Cahill set a season high with 19 digs, and Amanda Saeger recorded season highs in assists (20) and digs (10) off the bench. The Blue Demons totaled 62 kills and 57 assists, both season highs.
MARQUETTE NOTES
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, 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!
"With both teams having developed well through the preseason and the first week of league play on the road, this has the potential to be a very good match," said head coach Marie Zidek. "It will likely come down to which team can squeeze out more counterattack opportunities through multiple runs and apply service pressure at the right moments to steal a few points. The margins in league play are razor thin, so hopefully we can keep our momentum high and stay after our opponent. We've become great responders and have played well under pressure, and it's nice to have another match that could be as close as that UConn marathon, so we can see how to sustain that and keep building."
DePaul's 10-3 start is its best since 2015 and the fastest under head coach Marie Zidek. Wednesday's match pits two unbeaten league teams against each other, with Marquette entering on a four-match winning streak.
LAST TIME OUT
The Blue Demons opened BIG EAST play with a 25-22, 25-21, 25-13 sweep at Providence. Isabela Tavares Salomon led all players with 12 kills on .321 hitting, while Leonor Polezzi directed the offense with 31 assists and four service aces. Abby Cahill anchored the back row with 11 digs and a .933 serve-receive percentage as DePaul hit .245 as a team.
DePaul followed with a 26-24, 38-40, 26-24, 25-20 win at UConn in a match that stretched three hours. The 38-40 second set was one of only two sets this season to reach 78 total points, matching Brown's 40-38 fourth-set win over Rhode Island on Sept. 5 as the highest-scoring set of the year. Kendall Timme led all players with a season-high 19 kills and 12 digs, while Martina Diana posted a career-high 16 kills on .324 hitting. Tavares Salomon added 13 kills at a .375 clip, and Polezzi contributed 28 assists and four aces. Cahill set a season high with 19 digs, and Amanda Saeger recorded season highs in assists (20) and digs (10) off the bench. The Blue Demons totaled 62 kills and 57 assists, both season highs.
MARQUETTE NOTES
- Marquette is 7-5 (2-0 BIG EAST) after road sweeps of UConn and Providence, with four straight wins, 11 straight sets won and opponents held to .137 hitting during the streak
- Junior outside hitter Carson Tyler leads the BIG EAST with 4.90 points per set, ranks second with 4.18 kills per set and has double-figure kills in all 12 matches. She is the reigning BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the second straight week
- Freshman setter Luanna Markus leads the BIG EAST with 9.42 assists per set and has 30-plus assists in 10 of 12 matches
- Freshmen Molly Welge (1.34 blocks per set, second in the BIG EAST), Emi Juric (team-high 150 digs) and Caydence Doolan (42 kills in the last four matches) play key roles
- Marquette leads the series 47-29 and has won 30 straight against DePaul, dating to Nov. 1, 2008. The Golden Eagles won both 2025 meetings
DEPAUL DEBRIEF
- Timme leads DePaul with 169 kills and ranks third in the BIG EAST in kills per set (3.76) and points per set (4.31)
- Polezzi ranks second in the BIG EAST with 8.67 assists per set and 0.62 aces per set, and has earned three BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selections this season
- Cahill was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after averaging 4.29 digs per set at Providence and UConn
- DePaul leads the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.244) and ranks second in kills per set (13.20) and aces per set (1.82)
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, 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!
Players Mentioned
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/ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALLMonday, September 21
Monday, September 21
Saturday, September 19
Saturday, September 12