(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) DAYTON, OHIO – The Marquette University volleyball team (0-2, 0-0 BIG EAST) dropped their first road match of the season to Dayton (1-0, 0-0 A10) in four sets Friday evening at the Frericks Center.
Carson Tyler led Marquette with a team-high 15 kills while hitting .303 and adding three service aces, eight digs and two blocks. Tani Juric contributed nine kills, and Molly Welge finished with six kills and a team-best four blocks. Luanna Markus paced the offense with 28 assists while also recording five kills, nine digs and three blocks. Defensively, Emi Juric collected a team-high 11 digs as the Golden Eagles finished with 45 digs and seven team blocks.
Marquette totaled 43 kills and hit .175 as a team, while Dayton posted 61 kills on a .299 hitting percentage.
Dayton seized momentum early with a 4-0 run fueled by three service aces from Sidney Sprada, but Marquette settled in behind Tyler and Tani Juric to erase multiple deficits. The teams traded points throughout the middle of the set and were tied as late as 21-21 before the Flyers closed on a 4-2 run to secure a 25-23 opening-set victory.
Marquette bounced back in the second set after an early 5-2 deficit, using a balanced attack led by Tyler and timely plays from Welge to draw even at 6-6 and eventually take control. The Golden Eagles broke a 12-12 tie with a 6-3 run and stretched their lead to 21-16 behind aggressive play at the net and several Dayton errors. The Flyers trimmed the margin to three late, but Marquette held firm as Welge earned set point and Caydence Doolan finished the set with a kill for a 25-22 victory that evened the match at one set apiece.
Dayton appeared to take control of the third set early, building an 11-6 advantage , but Marquette responded with a 8-4 surge, highlighted by Annika Kowalski’s service ace and three consecutive aces from Tyler, to turn a one-point deficit into an 18-16 lead. The Flyers answered immediately, with a 4-0 run to help secure the third, 25-21, and go up two sets to one.
Marquette grabbed control of the fourth set early, turning a 5-5 tie into a 15-12 advantage behind strong serving from Emi Juric and solid play at the net from Keira Schmidt, Welge and Doolan. Dayton answered with a decisive 8-1 run midway through the set to build a 20-16 lead. The Golden Eagles pulled within 21-19 after a Markus ace, but the Flyers maintained the cushion down the stretch and secured the set, 25-21, and the match in four sets.
NOTES
- Marquette fell to 10-23 against Dayton all-time
- MU hit below .200 in their second-straight match (.175), falling to 0-2 when hitting below .200
- Marquette’s serve game was a bright spot, finishing with nine aces compared to six for Dayton. Emi Juric and Tyler had three aces each, while Kowalski, Welge and Markus added one apiece.
- The Golden Eagles are 0-2 to start the season for the first time since 2007
- Carson Tyler secured her 53rd career match with double-digit kills, finishing with 15
- Allie Beers and Molly Welge each made their first-career starts in the Blue & Gold
- Welge in her first start collected six kills and a team-high four blocks
- Emi Juric collected 11 digs, her second-straight match with double-figure digs
UP NEXT
Marquette takes on Wright State tomorrow evening, Aug. 29, at 6 p.m. CT at the Nutter Center in Fairborn, Ohio.
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