MATCHES 4, 5, & 6
Eastern Michigan (3-0) vs. Duquesne (3-0)
Friday, September 4 | 11:00 a.m.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse| Pittsburgh, Pa.
Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN+)

Elon (1-3) vs. Duquesne (3-0)
Friday, September 4 | 6:00 p.m.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse| Pittsburgh, Pa.
Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN+)

Robert Morris (0-3) vs. Duquesne (3-0)
Saturday, September 5 | 3:00 p.m.
UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse| Pittsburgh, Pa.
Live Stats | Live Video (ESPN+)

2026 Roster | 2026 Schedule | 2026 Final Statistics | DUQ Game Notes
 
Bump. Set. Spike.
- For the first time in 2026, the Duquesne volleyball team will play inside UPMC Cooper Fieldhouse when it cohosts the Chick-fil-A Robinson Classic. The Dukes open competition against Eastern Michigan on Friday, Sept. 4 at 11:00 a.m. before battling Elon at 6:00 p.m. Duquesne will conclude play when it welcomes local rival Robert Morris on Saturday, Sept. 5 beginning at 3:00 p.m.

- The Dukes are coming off a dominant weekend at the YSU Invitational, where they posted a perfect 3-0 record for the second consecutive season. Duquesne opened the tournament with a 3-0 sweep over Canisius before earning a 3-1 victory over YSU during the night cap. The Dukes then capped the tournament on Saturday with a decisive 3-0 win against Mercyhurst.

- Against the Golden Griffins, Duquesne was paced by Emersen Schrom, who recorded her first kill-dig double-double of the season with a match-high 14 kills and 10 digs while hitting at a .393 clip. She also added two service aces and a block on Friday morning.

- In her first collegiate match, Simone Searles tallied nine kills, five digs and a team-high four aces while adding three blocks. Jordan Robertson and Londyn Stone each chipped in six kills, with Robertson adding two blocks and Stone contributing three aces and five digs.

- Senior Chloe Wilmot orchestrated the Duquesne offense with 35 assists while adding seven digs, while Delaney McIntosh also finished with seven digs. As a team, the Dukes recorded 11 service aces and 6.5 total blocks while limiting Canisius to a .034 hitting percentage.

- Against the Penguins, Duquesne featured three players with double-digit kills, led by Londyn Stone and Emersen Schrom, who each finished with 17 kills. Stone also collected eight digs, two assists and a block, while Schrom added seven digs and an ace in the victory.

- Simone Searles rounded out the trio with 10 kills while hitting .375, adding seven digs and two blocks. Senior libero Delaney McIntosh posted a career-high 22 digs to go with three assists, while Jordan Robertson paced the Dukes with six blocks in the win.

- The Dukes ended the weekend in dominating fashion as Simone Searles finished with 10 kills and nine digs while hitting .350. Emersen Schrom added eight kills, five digs and two aces, while Maddie Bush paced the Dukes with five total blocks. Senior Delaney McIntosh anchored the defensive effort, collecting 15 digs and an ace.

- Duquesne will hit the road when it travels to Charleston, S.C. for the Steve Baumrind Invitational, hosted by the College of Charleston on Friday, Sept. 11 and Saturday, Sept. 12. The Dukes open competition against Northern Kentucky on Friday at 10:00 a.m. before battling the Cougars at 7:00 p.m. Duquesne wraps up competition at 10:00 a.m. on Saturday against Notre Dame.

Scouting The Eagles – A member of the Mid-American Conference, Eastern Michigan enters the weekend with a perfect 3-0 record after competing in the USI Invitational in Evansville, Ind. The Eagles opened the tournament with a 3-2 victory over Northern Illinois before earning a 3-1 win over Southern Indiana. Eastern Michigan closed out the weekend with a straight-set victory over Murray State on Saturday. Friday's matchup will mark the fifth meeting all-time between the two programs, with the series split at 2-2. Duquesne has won the last two meetings, including a 3-2 victory in 2024. The Eagles are paced by Haley Trosky, who is averaging 2.17 kills per set while hitting at a .279 clip. Lina Gavoni leads Eastern Michigan with 4.91 assists per set, while Surabhi Srinivasan anchors the defense with a team-best 4.25 digs per set.

Scouting The Phoenix – Elon, a member of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), enters Pittsburgh with a 1-3 overall record after most recently dropping a 3-2 decision at UNC Asheville. The Phoenix opened the 2026 season at the Quest for the Crown tournament in Norfolk, Va., suffering consecutive 3-1 setbacks to St. John's and Norfolk State before earning their first win of the season with a 3-1 victory over Old Dominion. Elon is led offensively by Cameron Lanier, who is averaging 3.65 points and a team-best 3.12 kills per set. Kayla Palmer directs the Phoenix offense, totaling 79 assists while averaging 4.65 assists per stanza. Lanier and Palmer have each recorded seven service aces on the season. Defensively, Casey Brower leads the Phoenix with 2.65 digs per set, while Caroline Berlekamp has registered 19 total blocks and is averaging 1.12 blocks per frame. Friday night's contest will mark the first-ever meeting between Duquesne and Elon.

Scouting The Colonials – A series that dates back to 1986, Duquesne and Robert Morris will square off for the 49th time, with the Dukes holding a 37-11 advantage in the all-time series. Duquesne has won seven of the last 10 meetings, including each of the last three matchups. Robert Morris enters the weekend with an 0-3 record after competing in the Black and Gold Classic, hosted by UCF. The Colonials opened the tournament with a 3-2 setback against Stony Brook before falling to host UCF, 3-1, on Friday night. RMU wrapped up the weekend against NC State, dropping a 3-0 decision to the Wolfpack. The Colonials are paced by Lauren Decker, who is averaging 2.60 kills per set, while Kenlee Barnard is tallying 8.17 assists per set. Defensively, Anahi Alvarado leads the way with 4.17 digs per set, while Keira Hornung has collected a team-best 9.0 blocks.

Setting Up History - Following a stellar opening weekend, senior Chloe Wilmot was named the Atlantic 10 Player of the Week. Wilmot leads the Atlantic 10 and ranks 16th nationally with 11.10 assists per set after helping guide the Dukes to a perfect 3-0 record at the YSU Invitational. Her 111 total assists rank second in the conference and 38th among NCAA Division I players. Wilmot also earned tournament MVP honors and a spot on the All-Tournament Team after orchestrating the Duquesne offense throughout the weekend. The senior averaged 11.10 assists and 1.30 digs per set while totaling 111 assists, 13 digs, nine kills and four service aces across three matches. The Virginia native reached another career milestone in the fourth set against Youngstown State, eclipsing 3,000 career assists to become just the sixth player in program history to reach the mark.

Fresh Faces, Big Impact – After a successful opening weekend for the Dukes, a pair of freshmen made an immediate impact in their collegiate debuts in Londyn Stone and Simone Searles. Stone earned All-Tournament Team honors after averaging 4.05 points, 3.50 kills and 2.20 digs per set while hitting .284 across three matches. In a 3-1 victory over YSU, the freshman paced the Dukes with 17 kills, eight digs and a .262 hitting percentage before posting 12 kills, nine digs and a .360 hitting percentage in a 3-0 sweep of Mercyhurst. The Ohio native has led the Dukes in kills twice and service aces once through her first three collegiate matches. Searles enjoyed an equally impressive debut weekend, averaging 3.85 points, 2.90 kills and 2.10 digs per set while hitting at a .355 clip across three matches. She opened her collegiate career with nine kills, five digs, four service aces and three blocks before recording her first career double-digit kill performance with 10 kills, seven digs and four blocks. The Georgia native came just shy of her first career kills-digs double-double against Mercyhurst, finishing with 10 kills, nine digs and two blocks in the 3-0 sweep. Combined, the two freshmen totaled 64 kills, 43 digs, 12 blocks and nine service aces over three matches to help the Dukes open the season with a 3-0 record.

Chasing 400 – The all-time winningest coach in program history, Steve Opperman, is on the brink of another major milestone in his storied coaching career. Opperman enters the weekend just four wins shy of eclipsing 400 victories at Duquesne. With four more wins, he would become the 21st active head coach to reach 400-plus wins at his current institution and just the 17th active head coach to combine 400 or more wins at his current university with 500-plus career victories. Opperman is in his 36th season as a head coach and 29th campaign on the Bluff. He secured his 500th career victory last September against Robert Morris, becoming one of just 28 active head coaches nationwide to reach the milestone. He is also just the second active coach in the Atlantic 10 to surpass 500 career victories, joining Dayton's Tim Horsmon. During his tenure on the Bluff, Opperman has coached Duquesne's first two AVCA All-Americans, produced 19 All-Atlantic 10 First and Second Team selections, developed 27 A-10 All-Rookie Team honorees and mentored two Atlantic 10 Rookies of the Year.

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