(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University women’s volleyball team cruised to a 25-18, 25-11, 25-20 sweep of Butler on Sunday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.
The Golden Eagles (7-6, 3-1 BIG EAST) were led by a career-high 13 kills from outside hitter Natalie Ring, who hit .323 and added a pair of blocks and three digs. Aubrey Hamilon landed nine kills, while Ella Foti, Carsen Murray and Hattie Bray each posted seven.
“I thought (setter) Yadhi (Anchante) set really well to give people some really good looks,” MU head coach Ryan Theis said. “We have the versatility, which is huge and when Foti does that offensively, and Hattie and Carsen are chipping in, it becomes hard to stop.”
MU combined for 10.0 team blocks and Foti led the way individually with five, while Bray and Murray each had four.
“Our hitters and blockers have done a pretty good job of processing what is going on on the other side of the net and seeing where hitters can go,” Theis said. “We’ve been working a lot to try and reach outside the body line and if hitters reach you to get block touches.”
Butler (2-14, 0-4 BIG EAST) combined to hit .127 compared to a .342 mark by MU. Abby Maesch led the way with a match-best 14 kills.
NOTABLE:
- MU setter Yadhira Anchante posted 38 assists and 11 digs for her team-leading ninth double-double of the year. Anchante pushed her career assist total to 2,648 to surpass Nikki Klingsporn (2009-10; 2,626 assists) for the sixth-highest total in program history.
- Marquette is 21-9 all-time against Butler and has won each of the last six matches against the Bulldogs.
- Save for five-set losses during the 2014, 2017 and 2020 regular seasons, MU has won 20 of 23 contests since the Bulldogs entered the BIG EAST for the 2013 campaign.
- MU swept last season’s lone match against Butler, 25-15, 25-9, 25-17, at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Friday, Oct. 20, 2023. It was Ella Foti’s first at MU as a 5-1 setter as Anchante missed her first of five matches due to illness. The Golden Eagles hit a combined .447 in the win and limited BU to a mark of just .062.
UP NEXT: MU heads to the East Coast for contests at St. John’s and Villanova on Oct. 11-13. The Golden Eagles will face St. John’s on Friday evening at Carnesecca Arena in Queens before a Sunday afternoon tilt at Villanova.
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