Pirates Set to Host DePaul, Marquette This Weekend

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Walsh Gymnasium

SETON HALL (6-14, 1-6) vs. DE PAUL (5-13, 3-4)

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Time

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Friday,
Oct. 12

7:00 PM ET

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@SHUVolley

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Walsh Gymnasium

SETON HALL (6-14, 1-6) vs. No. 19 MARQUETTE (15-4, 6-1)

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Time

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Saturday,
Oct. 13

7:00 PM ET

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@SHUVolley

PREVIEW
Seton Hall is back in action this weekend as it returns to Walsh Gymnasium for a pair of BIG EAST Conference contests. The Pirates will host DePaul on Friday, and No. 19 Marquette on Saturday. Both matches are scheduled for a 7:00 p.m. start.

LAST WEEKEND
Last weekend, the Pirates split a pair of BIG EAST road matches, falling in three sets at Creighton in Omaha on Friday before picking up their first conference win of the season in five sets at Providence on Sunday.

The Hall played spirited volleyball against the four-time defending champions, scoring at least 20 points in all three sets, but ultimately it was defeated, 25-20, 25-21, 25-21. Junior Haylee Gasser (Mission Viejo, Calif.) led the Pirates with a season-high 10 kills to go with only two attack errors for a .400 attack percentage. Caitlin Koska (Franklin, Wis.) nearly had a double-double with nine kills and eight digs, while Sophia Coffey (Sierra Madre, Calif.) had a team-high 31 assists and six digs.

On Sunday at Providence, the Pirates earned their first BIG EAST win of the season in a come-from-behind, five-set victory. Senior Abby Thelen (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) erupted for a career-high 25 kills to go with three blocks. Freshman Eden Dolezal (La Porte, Ind.) had a career-high 26 digs, while senior Cherise Hennigan (Corona, Calif.) had a season-high 17 kills. Coffey had a double-double with season-highs of 52 assists, 15 digs and six kills.

For her efforts last weekend, Dolezal was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week.

SCOUTING DE PAUL
Seton Hall and DePaul will meet for the 19^th time in history on Friday, and the Pirates have dominated the series. The Hall has won 17 of the first 18 contests with the Blue Demons, including a season sweep of the home-and-home series in 2017.

On September 23 last season, the Pirates swept DePaul in Chicago. Koska had 12 kills, only three attack errors, and a .391 attack percentage. Coffey narrowly missed a double-double, finishing with a team-high 19 assists to go with eight digs. A month later, the Pirates swept the Blue Demons again, this time in Walsh Gym. Thelen had 11 kills, five digs and three blocks in the victory. Coffey again came close to a double-double, finishing with 16 assists and nine digs.

DePaul's overall record isn't great, but they've exceeded expectations so far in BIG EAST Conference play. Entering the weekend, the Blue Demons are just 5-13 overall, but are 3-4, and in the thick of playoff contention, in conference matches. Since starting BIG EAST play with three straight losses, DePaul has won three of four, including a four-set victory over Xavier on Wednesday. Other conference victories include a four-set win over Georgetown, and a five-set victory against Butler.

DePaul was picked to finish last in the 10-team BIG EAST Conference according to the 2018 Preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll. Senior Brittany Maxwell was named to the Preseason All-Conference Team.

SCOUTING MARQUETTE
Seton Hall and Marquette will meet for the 21^st time, with the Golden Eagles having won 15 of the previous 20 matches in the series. The Pirates have lost six straight matches with Marquette, including both last season. The Hall's last victory over the Golden Eagles came in the 2014 BIG EAST Championship semifinals, a five-set win in Milwaukee to advance to the title match.

On Sept. 22 of last year, the Pirates fell in three sets in Milwaukee, 25-20, 25-20, 25-19. Thelen led The Hall with 11 kills. Coffey had a double-double with a team-high 16 assists to go with 13 digs in only three sets. The rematch on Oct. 28 was a much closer contest. Marquette outlasted Seton Hall in five sets, two of which needed more than 25 points to crown a victor. In an epic second set, the Pirates won, 35-33. Thelen had 20 kills and only four attack errors. Coffey had 31 assists and 18 digs, while Maggie Cvelbar (Euclid, Ohio) had 28 assists and eight digs.

Billed as the preseason favorite to win the BIG EAST Conference, Marquette has not disappointed so far in 2018. The Golden Eagles are the 19^th ranked team in the country and enter the weekend with a 15-4 overall record, and a 6-1 BIG EAST mark. Their lone loss in conference play came at the hands of No. 10 Creighton. In fact, the three sets lost in their match against the Bluejays were the only three lost so far in conference play. All six of their victories have come via sweep. The Golden Eagles enter Friday's contest at St. John's having won five straight matches, and they haven't lost a set since Sept. 23.

Junior Allie Barber was named the 2018 Preseason BIG EAST Player of the Year. She currently leads the conference with 4.47 kills per set. In addition to Barber, Jenna Rosenthal and Hope Werch were also named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.