STORRS, Conn.- UConn volleyball (18-2, 6-2 BIG EAST) hits the road this weekend after staying unbeaten at home last weekend, picking up victories over Villanova and St. John's. The Huskies will look to keep their six-game winning streak alive against Xavier and DePaul, the last two BIG EAST teams that UConn has not faced yet this season. In the two big home wins, the Huskies were led by BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week Taylor Pannell, who had 28 kills and 11 blocks total against Villanova and St. John's. Doga Kutlu was instrumental in the wins as well, with 96 assists and 41 digs, punctuated with 32 digs against Nova, the most in a match by any BIG EAST player in conference play this season.

Xavier Snapshot (6-12, 4-4 BIG EAST)

The Musketeers are 4-4 to start conference play, coming off losses against the top two teams in the BIG EAST (Creighton, Marquette). Last season, X finished 18-12, 11-7 in BIG EAST play, with their season ending in the first round of the BIG EAST Tournament in a defeat against DePaul. In 2023, Xavier swept both meetings with UConn.

Players to Watch: Xavier's offense is led by outsider hitter Anna Taylor. The redshirt junior leads the team with 195 kills. OH/DS Emma Grace ranks second on the team in kills (170), first in aces (19), and digs (194), making the BIG EAST Weekly Honor on October 7^th. Setter Logan Flaugh is second in the conference in assists with 10.71/set, with a BIG EAST match high of 55 in a win over Georgetown on October 12^th. MB Margo Kemp has won BIG EAST Freshman of the Week twice this season, ranking third on the team in kills with 161 also leading the Musketeers in blocks (61).

Coach: Christy Pfeffenberger has been at the helm for Xavier since 2015. Last season, Pfeffenberger led the Musketeers to a win over Creighton. The victory was the highest ranked win in program history at the time (Creighton was ranked no.11). Coach Pfeffenberger and her staff won BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year in 2022. 

DePaul Snapshot (13-7, 5-3 BIG EAST)

DePaul is only one game behind UConn in the BIG EAST standings, coming in at 13-7 overall and 5-3 in conference play. In their two matchups last season, the Blue Demons swept UConn.

Players to Watch: Outside Hitter Jill Pressly has made a significant impact for the Blue Demons this season. Unanimously selected to the 2024 All- BIG EAST Preseason Team, Pressly has shown why. The grad student from Texas leads the conference with 4.29 kills/set, highlighted by 26 and 25 kill performances against Seton Hall and Marquette. Defensively, libero Rachel Krasowski anchors DePaul, leading the conference with 4.90 digs/set. Krasowski joined Pressly on the 2024 BIG EAST Preseason Team, with both making the All-BIG-EAST team a season ago. Setter Ashley Cudiamat ranks 10^th in the conference at 5.81 assists/set.

Coach: Marie Zidek is the head coach for DePaul, her seventh season at the helm. Under Zidek's leadership, the Blue Demons finished last season 18-15 and 9-9 in the BIG EAST, defeating Xavier in the first round of the BE Tournament before falling to eventual-champion Creighton in their next match. DePaul made the NIVC, winning their first match against Southern Illinois, the first postseason win in program history. 

How to Watch: Both matches will be streamed on Flo Sports. Follow UConn volleyball for in-game updates on Instagram, X, and Facebook at @UConnVball