Sept. 21, 2008

No. 13 Wisconsin-Marquette Box Score

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MILWAUKEE -- The Marquette women's volleyball team dropped Sunday's match in the finale of the Marquette Cheese Bowl to No. 13 Wisconsin, 3-0 (25-23, 25-23, 25-15).

"We had a great first two sets tonight, but we struggled closing them out," said head coach Pati Rolf.

The Golden Eagles got off to a fast start in the first set, scoring the first four points before the Badgers answered. Marquette then led 5-1 on a kill from junior setter Caryn Mastandrea, who was named to the Marquette Cheese Bowl All-Tournament Team, making it her third all-tournament team in as many weekends. After a Badgers' kill and attack error, MU led 6-2 before UW mounted a comeback to tie the match at 6-6.

Marquette regained the lead and led by as many as four with the score 21-17, forcing Wisconsin to call a timeout. Out of the timeout, the Badgers scored the next four points to tie the match at 21-21, leading to a Marquette timeout. Kills by Ashlee Fisher and Leslie Bielski put MU up 22-21 and 23-22, respectively. The Badgers responded by scoring the next three points to take the set, 25-23.

In the first frame, Fisher and Mastandrea led the way for MU with five kills, while Mastandrea also had 11 assists and four digs. Brittney Dolgner led the Badgers with five kills.

The second set started much like the first as neither team led by more than one point through the set's first 14 points. The set was tied early on at every point from 1-1 to 7-7. From there, UW jumped out to take a three point lead at 10-7 before MU came back to tie the set at 15-15. MU then took the lead at 17-16 on a block from Katie Vancura and Tiara Russell. The block was followed by the Badgers taking the next four points to extend their lead to four at 21-17. The Golden Eagles fought back to pull within one at 24-23 on a kill by Bielski. A kill by Audra Jeffers closed out the set for the Badgers, 25-23.

In the second stanza, Marquette out hit Wisconsin, .269 to .216, as the Badgers registered 10 errors while MU only recorded three.

"I thought our defense really played well," said Rolf. "In the first two sets our defense was everywhere. They have really elevated their game."

After the break, Marquette took an early lead at 4-3 on an attack error by Wisconsin's Katherine Dykstra before UW rallied back to take a six point advantage at 12-6 on a kill by Dolgner. Out of an MU timeout, the Golden Eagles fought back to tie the score at 14-14 on a service ace from Mastandrea. From that point, Wisconsin took control of the match, taking 11 of 12 points to seal the victory, 25-15.

"It is really important to play against teams like Oregon State and Wisconsin because it really elevates your game," Rolf said. "It is great that the kids are gaining confidence as we enter BIG EAST play."

Marquette falls to 5-7 on the season while Wisconsin improves to 10-2. The Golden Eagles return to action next weekend when they open BIG EAST Conference play on Friday, Sept. 26 at Rutgers.

Marquette Cheese Bowl All Tournament Team

Rachel Rourke, OH, Oregon State- MVP

Jill Sawatzky, OH, Oregon State

Lexie Rathgeber, MB, Oregon State

Audra Jeffers, MB, Wisconsin

Caity DuPont, OH, Wisconsin

Caryn Mastandrea, S, Marquette

Rebecca Heath, OH, American