(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) CHICAGO – The Marquette University volleyball team (7-6, 2-1 BIG EAST) fell to DePaul (11-3, 3-0 BIG EAST) in five sets Wednesday evening at McGrath Phillips Arena.
Carson Tyler led the Marquette attack with a career-high 30 kills, hitting .357 while adding six digs and four blocks. Tani Juric joined her in double figures with 11 kills on a match-best .435 hitting percentage, while Caydence Doolan added seven kills and Molly Welge posted six kills and six blocks. Keira Schmidt led the Golden Eagles at the net with eight blocks, and Luanna Markus directed the offense with 47 assists to go along with eight digs and five blocks. Defensively, Emi Juric recorded a team-high 15 digs, while Avery Helms added 13. Marquette finished the match hitting .311 with 63 kills and 16 total blocks.
Marquette jumped out to an early 5-1 advantage behind three kills from Carson Tyler, but DePaul worked its way back and eventually used a 5-1 spurt to take a 15-12 lead. The Golden Eagles responded, getting a block from Molly Welge and Luanna Markus before kills from Tyler and Caydence Doolan and a solo block from Keira Schmidt pushed MU back in front, 18-17. The Blue Demons answered with consecutive kills to regain the lead and, after Marquette tied the frame at 19, closed the set on a 6-1 run to take the opener, 25-20.
Marquette responded quickly in the second set, jumping out to a 9-3 lead behind a balanced attack and a Carson Tyler service ace. The Golden Eagles continued to pull away as Keira Schmidt recorded a pair of solo blocks and teamed with Luanna Markus for another, while Annika Kowalski added an ace during a 5-0 run that stretched the advantage to 14-5. MU remained in control the rest of the frame, with Tani Juric and Emma Parks providing multiple kills before Tyler finished off the dominant set victory, 25-13.
Marquette broke open a tight third set with a decisive run after holding an 11-10 advantage. Emi Juric sparked the surge with a pair of service aces, while Carson Tyler added three kills and Tani Juric and Molly Welge combined for a block as the Golden Eagles built a 17-10 lead. MU continued to pull away behind kills from Tyler, Welge and Emma Parks, and a Keira Schmidt–Luanna Markus block brought up set point at 24-15. Parks eventually closed out the frame with a kill as Marquette took a 2-1 lead in the match with a 25-17 victory.
DePaul grabbed an early 8-4 advantage in the fourth set, but Marquette battled back behind Carson Tyler and consecutive solo blocks from Molly Welge and Tyler to take a 13-12 lead. The Blue Demons answered with a 6-1 run to move back in front, 18-14, before three straight kills from Caydence Doolan pulled the Golden Eagles within one. DePaul rebuilt its lead to 23-20, but kills from Tani Juric and Tyler helped MU fight off match point and close within 24-23. The Blue Demons secured the final point on a Marquette attack error to force a fifth set with a 25-23 victory.
Marquette and DePaul traded points throughout the opening half of the decisive fifth set, with three early kills from Carson Tyler helping the Golden Eagles take a 4-2 lead. After the teams were tied at 7, DePaul scored three straight points, including two service aces, to take a 10-7 advantage. The Golden Eagles answered behind Tyler, who delivered four kills during a 4-2 stretch to pull MU within 12-11. DePaul responded with consecutive kills to reach match point, and after another Tyler kill kept Marquette alive, the Blue Demons closed out the match with a 15-12 fifth-set victory.
NOTES
- MU fell to 47-30 all-time against the Blue Demons
- Carson Tyler posted a career-high 30 kills, surpassing her previous career best of 29 set against Toledo on Oct. 10, 2025. Her previous Marquette high was 28 against St. Thomas on Sept. 19. Tyler hit .357 (30-10-56) and added six digs and four blocks in the five-set match.
- Tyler’s 30 kills are tied for the third-most in a match in Marquette history, joining Autumn Bailey and Allie Barber. She is the first Golden Eagle to reach 30 kills since Barber had 30 at Seton Hall on Oct. 28, 2017.
- Tyler has reached double figures in kills in all 13 matches this season.
- Tani Juric matched her career high with 11 kills while hitting a team-best .435 (11-1-23). The freshman previously recorded 11 kills at then-No. 4 Stanford on Sept. 6. Her .435 hitting percentage was also her third match in the last four hitting at least .400.
- Keira Schmidt set a career high with eight total blocks, surpassing her previous best of seven, which she reached twice in 2025. Schmidt recorded three solo blocks and five block assists against the Blue Demons.
- Molly Welge added six blocks, giving the freshman multiple blocks in all 13 matches this season. Welge entered the match ranked 46th nationally and second in the BIG EAST at 1.34 blocks per set.
- Marquette recorded a season-high 16 total blocks, surpassing its previous high of 14.5 against Milwaukee on Sept. 20. The 16 blocks were also the Golden Eagles’ most since recording 17 against St. John’s on Oct. 11, 2025.
- Luanna Markus dished out 47 assists, her second-highest total of the season behind her career-high 54 against St. Thomas. The freshman setter also added eight digs and five blocks. Markus entered the night leading the BIG EAST with 9.42 assists per set and 424 total assists.
- Marquette hit.311 with 63 kills, marking its third match this season hitting above .300 and its second match with at least 60 kills. MU’s 63 kills are a season high, topping the 62 recorded against St. Thomas.
- Emi Juric led Marquette with 15 digs, her second-highest total of the season behind a career-high 22 against St. Thomas. Avery Helms followed with 13 digs, giving her third double-digit dig performance of the season.
UP NEXT
Marquette will head to Omaha next Sunday, Oct. 4 for a 1 p.m. CT first serve against Creighton.
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