DePaul University Athletics
Monday, September 7
Chicago, Ill.
3 p.m.
DePaul University
vs
Penn State
Blue Demons Welcome No. 13 Penn State to McGrath-Phillips Arena
9/6/2026 3:36:00 PM | WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
DePaul returns to Lincoln Park for sold-out matinee
CHICAGO – DePaul volleyball (4-1) welcomes No. 13 Penn State (3-0) to a sold-out McGrath-Phillips Arena on Monday afternoon for its third match in seven days, with a chance to pick up its first ranked win. First serve is set for 3 p.m. CT, with Anthony Mazzini (play-by-play) and Brea Lassek (analyst) on the call for ESPNU.
"This is an important opportunity for us and another step in the crucible of chasing high performance," said head coach Marie Zidek. "While we were able to compete at the high-end required in Friday's match against No. 1 Nebraska, there were parts of rallies that leaked from our game and kept us from converting more points. We've addressed those in film, and I know we'll come out just as firm and focused against Penn State. "
Monday's matinee is the third of an eight-match homestand to open the season for DePaul, and the second ranked Big Ten opponent the Blue Demons will see in as many matches.
DePaul (4-1) enters off a hard-fought three-set loss to No. 1 Nebraska (19-25, 13-25, 15-25) on Friday in front of a state-record crowd of 8,786 at Wintrust Arena. The Blue Demons out-hit the Huskers in the opening set, .308 to .089, marking the best hitting percentage by an unranked team against No. 1 Nebraska in nearly a year. Freshman Jocelyn Paige made her first career start in the match and recorded a pair of blocks.
"It's unique to get two highly-ranked teams back-to-back, and the opportunity is a golden one to see if we can keep our high end while building some depth into how we manage rallies," said Zidek. "This is the next step in front of this group, and I've loved going through these growth moments with them, because every time they've responded and continued to show respect to the process, belief in our crucible, and unyielding commitment to each other. We look forward to feeding off a strong crowd, and to playing in a way that makes everyone want to come back."
Blue Demon Bits
Penn State Preview
"Growing up on the South Side of Chicago with Penn State's head coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, makes this weekend even more significant," said Zidek. "It's a showcase of elite volleyball led by two coaches who started right here in the grassroots of this city's longtime volleyball history. I admire Katie deeply, and celebrating the game's growth together by coaching against one another will be special."
STUDENT TICKETS
A limited number of free student tickets remain for the sold-out match. Doors open at 2 p.m., with valid DePaul ID required for entry. Student tickets are first come, first served.
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!
"This is an important opportunity for us and another step in the crucible of chasing high performance," said head coach Marie Zidek. "While we were able to compete at the high-end required in Friday's match against No. 1 Nebraska, there were parts of rallies that leaked from our game and kept us from converting more points. We've addressed those in film, and I know we'll come out just as firm and focused against Penn State. "
Monday's matinee is the third of an eight-match homestand to open the season for DePaul, and the second ranked Big Ten opponent the Blue Demons will see in as many matches.
DePaul (4-1) enters off a hard-fought three-set loss to No. 1 Nebraska (19-25, 13-25, 15-25) on Friday in front of a state-record crowd of 8,786 at Wintrust Arena. The Blue Demons out-hit the Huskers in the opening set, .308 to .089, marking the best hitting percentage by an unranked team against No. 1 Nebraska in nearly a year. Freshman Jocelyn Paige made her first career start in the match and recorded a pair of blocks.
"It's unique to get two highly-ranked teams back-to-back, and the opportunity is a golden one to see if we can keep our high end while building some depth into how we manage rallies," said Zidek. "This is the next step in front of this group, and I've loved going through these growth moments with them, because every time they've responded and continued to show respect to the process, belief in our crucible, and unyielding commitment to each other. We look forward to feeding off a strong crowd, and to playing in a way that makes everyone want to come back."
Blue Demon Bits
- Kendall Timme leads the team with 66 kills (3.88 per set), hitting .224 on the season
- Isabela Tavares-Salomon has 57 kills (3.35 per set)
- Leonor Polezzi has piloted the offense to 210 assists (12.35 per set)
- Nora Mannion paces the defense with 80 digs (4.71 per set)
- Martina Diana leads the team in blocks with 15.0 (0.88 per set) to go with 37 kills
- As a team, DePaul is hitting .244 and averaging 13.1 kills, 12.4 assists, 14.9 digs and 2.1 blocks per set
Penn State Preview
- Ranked No. 13 nationally, the Nittany Lions play No. 3 Kentucky at Wrigley Field on Sunday night before traveling to Chicago for Monday's matinee
- Penn State opened the season 3-0 at the Penn State Invitational with wins over UConn (3-0), High Point (3-2) and Hofstra (3-0)
- Head coach Katie Schumacher-Cawley enters her fifth season at the helm of her alma mater; in 2024 she became the first female head coach to lead a team to an NCAA Division I women's volleyball title, guiding Penn State to its eighth national championship
- A Chicago native, Schumacher-Cawley starred at Mother McAuley High School and is a member of the Chicagoland Sports Hall of Fame
- Penn State leads the all-time series with DePaul 2-0, with sweeps in 2012 (at UIC) and 2014 (in Happy Valley)
"Growing up on the South Side of Chicago with Penn State's head coach, Katie Schumacher-Cawley, makes this weekend even more significant," said Zidek. "It's a showcase of elite volleyball led by two coaches who started right here in the grassroots of this city's longtime volleyball history. I admire Katie deeply, and celebrating the game's growth together by coaching against one another will be special."
STUDENT TICKETS
A limited number of free student tickets remain for the sold-out match. Doors open at 2 p.m., with valid DePaul ID required for entry. Student tickets are first come, first served.
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 VOLLEYBALL
L/DS
/ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
MB
/ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
S
/ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALL
OH
/ WOMEN'S VOLLEYBALLSaturday, September 05
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Thursday, September 03