7 Holly Mertens Class: RS Junior Hometown: Stanley, Wis High School: Stanley-Boyd Height: 6-0 Position: RS

Honors and Awards
2011 All-BIG EAST Championship

2011 (Redshirt Junior):A sparkplug for much of Marquette's late-season success after suffering an ankle injury in the first match of the year ... Voted team's most improved player ... Recorded eight kills and three blocks in NCAA Second Round loss to No. 3 Illinois (Dec. 3) ...Had 10 kills and tied a career-high with six blocks in NCAA tournament win over No. 24 Western Kentucky (Dec. 2) ... Earned BIG EAST Championship All-Tournament honors after averaging 3.38 kills per set in matches against Seton Hall (Nov. 18) and Cincinnati (Nov. 19) ... Hit .414 against SHU in the BIG EAST quarterfinals with 15 kills on 29 attacks ... Had 10 kills and hit .467 against DePaul (Nov. 13) ... Led MU with 13 kills in 3-1 loss at Cincinnati (Nov. 5) ... In third start of the season vs. Rugters landed a career-high 15 kills and chipped in with four fouth-set blocks ... Mertens helped MU rebound from a 2-0 deficit against the Scarlet Knights for the victory and her four blocks in the fourh set helped MU take the frame after falling behind 7-1 ... Returned to the starting lineup on Oct. 7 against Georgetown ... Made first start of the season at Sacred Heart (Sept. 29) and recorded six kills ... Returned to action in home opener against Southern Miss (Sept. 9) for the first time since suffering an injury in the first match of the season ... Landed three kills in the opening set against Saint Louis (Aug. 26).

2010 (Redshirt Sophomore):Notched two kills on two total attacks at Penn (Oct. 2)...Saw first action of the season against Milwaukee (Sept. 11) and recorded three kills and a block...Also made first start of the season against Toledo (Sept. 12) in the finale of the Marquette/Milwaukee Invitational ...BIG EAST Academic All-Star.

2009 (Redshirt Freshman): Made 14 starts at right-side hitter in 2009...Under new head coach Bond Shymansky's guidance, moved from middle position to right-side...Registered a career-high 13 kills against Butler (Sept. 4) while hitting .524 for the contest...Recorded 10 kills and three blocks against both Austin Peay (Sept. 5) and Western Michigan (Sept. 11), making it three-straight matches with at least 10 kills...In five-set triumph over Dayton (Sept. 19), notched 12 kills and two blocks...Provided four blocks on five occasions, including three consecutive matches against Seton Hall (Oct. 2), Rutgers (Oct. 4) and at Connecticut (Oct. 9).

2008 (Freshman): Mertens earned a medical redshirt while recovering from a preseason knee injury.

Prior to Marquette (Stanley-Boyd High School): Mertens was a four year letter winner in volleyball at Stanley-Boyd. She helped Stanley-Boyd capture the Division 3 State Championship in 2006 while being named to the all-tournament team. Selected as a first team all-state member and Chippewa County Player of the Year in `06 and `07. Recorded 458 kills, 166 blocks, and 426 digs as a senior and 495 kills, 98 blocks and 441 digs as a junior. At Stanley-Boyd she also earned four letters each in basketball and track while garnering all-conference accolades in both sports.

Personal: Mertens was born in Stanley, Wis., as the youngest of three children to Mike and Elizabeth Mertens. She has two older brothers, Jon and Dan. Mertens plans to major in advertising and public relations.