*(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) OMAHA, Nebraska – The Marquette University women’s volleyball team fell, 25-20, 25-18, 23-25, 25-12, on Tuesday evening to No. 6 Creighton at D.J. Sokol Arena.
The Golden Eagles (6-6, 2-1 BIG EAST) fought back in the third set to force a fourth frame, but could not overcome a Creighton squad that owns three top-20 wins this season.
Ella Foti and Carsen Murray each landed nine kills to lead MU, while Samantha Naber contributed a career-high 20 digs as libero.
The Bluejays (12-2, 3-0 BIG EAST) were paced by 15 and 14 kills from outside hitters Ava Martin and Norah Sis, respectively. Creighton hit a combined .278 in the victory, while MU hit .116.
Marquette trailed 22-19 in the third set as Creighton closed in on its 10th sweep of the year following an Elise Goetzinger kill. The Golden Eagles stormed back with five-straight points and sat at set point, 24-22, on a Yadhira Anchante service ace, MU’s fifth of the frame. Goetzinger was able to keep the set alive with a kill out of the timeout, but Natalie Ring’s kill gave MU the third set victory one point later.
NOTABLE:
- MU setter Yadhira Anchante notched her team-best eighth double double of the year with 32 assists and 12 digs.
- The two squads combined for 17 service aces, with MU outside hitter Jenna Reitsma contributing a match-high four.
- At sixth in the latest AVCA Coaches’ Poll, Creighton has its best ranking since early in the 2017 campaign.
- Marquette is 7-28 all-time against the Bluejays with all but five of those meetings coming after CU joined the BIG EAST for the 2013 campaign. MU is 2-15 against the Bluejays in Omaha.
- The two squads have split the two regular season matches in each of the last two seasons and each team won both matches on its home court.
- The Golden Eagles are picked to finish second in the BIG EAST Conference preseason coaches’ poll behind Creighton, which has earned a share of the last three league titles alongside MU. Outside of the St. John’s surprise run to the BIG EAST tournament title in 2019, only MU and Creighton have won league titles since the conference reformed in 2013.
UP NEXT:
The Golden Eagles return to Milwaukee to host Butler at the Al McGuire Center on Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. Central time.
Comments