(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) LOUISVILLE, KY – The Marquette University women’s volleyball team (18-11, 11-5 BIG EAST) fell to two-seed and No. 9 Louisville (26-6, 16-4 ACC) Saturday evening in the NCAA Tournament Second Round at the L&N Federal Credit Union Arena.
Natalie Ring led the Golden Eagles with 29 kills and a .324 hitting percentage, also adding six digs. Hattie Bray put up 11 kills and a season-high nine blocks, while Elena Radeff tallied 10 kills and seven digs. Isabela Haggard set a new MU NCAA match record with 55 assists, while Adriana Studer tallied 20 digs.
It was a game of runs to start, with a four-point burst from MU led by four kills from Ring to put the Golden Eagles up early. Louisville responded with a four of their own to take the advantage, but Parks tallied a pair of kills to string three together and lead again, 10-9. Another Cardinal run brought the lead back, and each team traded points with MU holding a 15-14 advantage at the media timeout. MU continued to side out, but another Ring kill forced a Cardinal timeout, up 21-18. A Bray and Radeff block, followed by an ace set up set point for Marquette, and a service error gave MU the 25-21 set one win.
Louisville started the second strong, building a three-point edge, but the big block of Bray and Haggard kept MU within striking distance. A three-point burst from the home team forced a Marquette timeout trailing 9-4, and the Cardinals extended that rally to six to open a 12-4 lead. Despite the fight from Marquette, Louisville continued to side out at a high pace and kept the pressure on the Golden Eagles. The home team took the second set, 25-11, to even the match at one set each.
Marquette held the advantage in the third, starting with a 5-1 run fueled by blocks from Bray, Ring, and Radeff, with a Radeff ace to force a break from Louisville. MU kept the gas pedal down, running a string of five points together to break open a 7-1 lead. Louisville put together a 3-0 stretch to cut the MU lead to three and force a timeout, with Radeff ending the run on a kill. Ring showed her prowess, keeping Marquette ahead by a slim two-point margin, with both teams fighting to take the important third set. Marquette was the first to 20, with Ring going on a solo three-point burst to put the Golden Eagles ahead, 22-19, forcing a Louisville timeout. Out of the timeout, Louisville clawed back to take a 23-22 advantage, but Marquette responded with authority and rallied off three-straight to take the third, 25-25, and a pivotal third set victory.
The Cardinals responded to their setback in the last set, jumping out to a 10-4 advantage early, but the Golden Eagles stayed scrappy, snapping off a 3-0 run to trim the deficit to three. Louisville maintained their steady attack, with another run forcing a Marquette timeout trailing 19-13. With the pressure put on, Louisville secured a 25-19 fourth set win to force a decisive fifth set.
It was a thriller in the fifth, with Louisville taking an early advantage. Marquette kept fighting, keeping it tight, but UL was the first to eight as the Golden Eagles switched to their starting bench in front of the Blue and Gold faithful. The Cardinals were first to double digits, with the Golden Eagles taking a timeout to settle the crowd, down three points. MU fought back with a three-point run powered by a pair of kills from Ring, pulling the Golden Eagles within two. Louisville would then find the match winner with a high kill off the block, winning the match in five sets.
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