VB Takes on DePaul in Midweek Matchup Wednesday

The Marquette University volleyball team (7-5) is set to continue BIG EAST play with a midweek matchup on Wednesday, Sept. 30 at DePaul. First serve is set for 7 p.m. CT in Chicago.

LAST TIME OUT

Marquette extended its winning streak to four matches with a straight-set victory at Providence, defeating the Friars 25-14, 25-19, 25-23. Carson Tyler led the Golden Eagles with 18 kills on .400 hitting and 11 digs for her fifth double-double of the season, while Luanna Markus added 31 assists and seven digs. MU hit .222 and held Providence to .087 hitting to improve to 2-0 in BIG EAST play and 22-0 all-time against the Friars.

HISTORY VS. DEPAUL

Marquette owns a 47-29 all-time record against DePaul in a series that dates back to 1982. After DePaul controlled much of the early history, the Golden Eagles have taken command of the series in recent decades and enter this matchup on a 30-match winning streak against the Blue Demons dating back to 2009. Marquette has not lost to DePaul since a five-set setback on Nov. 1, 2008, and has won every meeting since, including a pair of victories in 2025. The Golden Eagles swept DePaul, 3-0, in Milwaukee on Oct. 5 before earning a 3-1 road victory in Chicago on Oct. 29.

SCOUTING THE BLUE DEMONS

DePaul enters Wednesday at 10-3 overall and 2-0 in BIG EAST play after road wins at Providence and UConn last weekend. The Blue Demons are hitting .244 while averaging 13.20 kills, 1.82 aces and 2.02 blocks per set. Kendall Timme leads the attack with 169 kills (3.76/set), while Isabela Tavares-Salomon has 142 kills (3.16/set) on .271 hitting. Leonor Polezzi directs the offense with 390 assists (8.67/set) and a team-high 28 aces, while Nora Mannion leads DePaul with 161 digs (3.66/set).

TYLER TAKES CHARGE

Junior outside hitter Carson Tyler has reached double figures in kills in all 12 matches this season and leads Marquette with 188 kills (4.18/set) and 220.5 points (4.90/set). Tyler ranks 25th nationally and second in the BIG EAST in kills per set, while her 4.90 points per set rank 18th nationally and first in the conference. She also ranks second in the BIG EAST with 188 total kills and 220.5 total points.

Named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the second-straight week on Monday, Tyler opened conference play with 31 kills across sweeps of UConn and Providence, averaging 5.17 kills per set and hitting .344. She recorded 13 kills at UConn before posting 18 kills on .400 hitting and 11 digs at Providence for her fifth double-double of the season. Her 18 kills against the Friars are the most by a Golden Eagle in a three-set match this year.

MARKUS THE MAESTRO

Freshman setter Luanna Markus leads the BIG EAST with 9.42 assists per set and 424 total assists, ranking 78th and 82nd nationally, respectively. The reigning BIG EAST Setter of the Week, her second honor of the season, Markus has recorded at least 30 assists in 10 of 12 matches, including 36 at UConn and 31 at Providence last weekend. She has also contributed 89 digs, 33 kills and 27 blocks while directing the Marquette attack.

DOOLAN DELIVERS

Freshman Caydence Doolan has emerged as an offensive option over Marquette's four-match winning streak, recording 42 kills over 14 sets. She posted a career-high 17 kills against St. Thomas before adding seven against Milwaukee, 10 on .444 hitting at UConn and eight at Providence. Doolan entered the St. Thomas match with only six kills on the season and now owns 48 kills (2.09/set).

FRESHMEN FILLING THE STAT SHEET

Marquette's freshmen continue to fill prominent roles entering the third match of BIG EAST play. Markus leads the Golden Eagles in assists, Emi Juric leads the team with 150 digs and Molly Welge owns a team-high 59 blocks, while Tani Juric ranks second with 96 kills. Doolan has added 48 kills despite appearing in only 23 sets, and five different freshmen have appeared in at least one match this season.

THE WALL OF WELGE

Freshman middle blocker Molly Welge ranks 46th nationally and second in the BIG EAST with 1.34 blocks per set. Her 59 total blocks rank 60th nationally and sixth in the conference. Welge recorded 30 blocks over a four-match stretch from Illinois through Milwaukee, including a career-high 10 against the Panthers, and has posted multiple blocks in all 12 matches this season.

TANI'S TOUCH FROM THE OPPOSITE PIN

Tani Juric ranks second on Marquette with 96 kills (2.13/set) and is hitting .242 through 45 sets. The freshman has been particularly efficient recently, recording 33 kills with just seven errors over the last four matches while hitting .302. Juric posted consecutive nine-kill performances while hitting .533 against Milwaukee and .471 at UConn before adding seven kills at Providence.

EMI DIGS IT IN THE BACK ROW

Freshman libero Emi Juric has totaled a team-best 150 digs and averages 3.33 per set, ranking 10th in the BIG EAST in total digs. She has reached double figures in 10 of 12 matches, highlighted by a career-high 22 against St. Thomas. Juric has also recorded 13 service aces with only four errors on 190 attempts for a .979 serving percentage.

RIDING THE STREAK

Marquette enters Wednesday's match riding a season-best four-match winning streak, defeating St. Thomas before recording consecutive sweeps of Milwaukee, UConn and Providence. The Golden Eagles have won 11 consecutive sets since dropping the first two frames against St. Thomas and have outscored opponents 275-214 during the streak. MU is above .500 for the first time this season at 7-5.

SWEEPING SUCCESS

Six of Marquette's seven victories have come in straight sets, and the Golden Eagles are a perfect 6-0 in three-set matches. MU has swept Wright State, South Florida, Illinois, Milwaukee, UConn and Providence, while its other victory came in five sets against St. Thomas. By comparison, each of Marquette's five losses has required at least four sets.

DEFENSIVE TURNAROUND

Marquette has held each of its last four opponents below a .200 hitting percentage, limiting St. Thomas to .193, Milwaukee to .065, UConn to .182 and Providence to .087. Opponents have combined to hit just.137 during the Golden Eagles' four-match winning streak, while MU has forced 84 attack errors over that span.

PRESSURE FROM THE SERVICE LINE

Marquette has recorded 69 service aces compared to 54 for its opponents and ranks fourth in the BIG EAST with 1.53 aces per set. The Golden Eagles have also committed 48 fewer service errors than their opponents, 80-128, and own a .918 serving percentage compared to .865 for the opposition. Tyler leads MU with 21 aces and ranks third in the BIG EAST at 0.47 per set.

MARQUETTE QUICK HITTERS

Carson Tyler ranks 56th nationally and second in the BIG EAST with 10.36 attacks per set.
- Tyler's 466 total attacks rank sixth in the BIG EAST.
- Tyler has recorded 112 digs (2.49/set), second on the Marquette roster.
- Tyler owns a.958 reception percentage on a team-high 212 reception attempts.
Keira Schmidt is hitting.265 with only 11 errors on 83 attacks this season.
- Schmidt has also contributed 20 total blocks in 35 sets.
Avery Helms owns 78 digs and 10 service aces through 45 sets.
- Helms has a .951 reception percentage on 184 attempts.
Allie Beers has recorded nine aces and 68 digs in 42 sets.
Marquette has recorded more digs than its opponents, 576-567, despite opponents holding a 580-544 advantage in kills.
MU has committed zero ball-handling errors through 45 sets, compared with three by its opponents.
The Golden Eagles have outscored opponents 284-246 in first sets, a plus-38 scoring margin.
MU has also outscored opponents 285-258 in third sets.
Marquette enters Wednesday 2-0 in BIG EAST play after opening conference action with road sweeps of UConn and Providence.
MU has played seven of its first 12 matches on the road, with Wednesday at DePaul marking its eighth true road contest.