Sept. 29, 2011

Box Score

Box Score | Box Score (PDF)

FAIRFIELD, Conn. – The Marquette University women’s volleyball team snapped Sacred Heart’s 22-match home winning streak Thursday evening with a 3-1 (25-15, 23-25, 25-17, 27-25) victory at the Pitt Center in Fairfield, Conn.

The Golden Eagles improve to 11-4 on the season and were led by 13 kills apiece from senior outside hitters Ashley Beyer and Ciara Jones and junior middle hitter Danielle Carlson. Freshman setter Chelsea Heier notched 42 assists for the Golden Eagles, who are 8-1 in their last nine contests, with the lone loss to No. 9 Minnesota, 3-2, on Sunday, Sept. 18.

The Pioneers (11-5) were led by 25 kills from senior outside hitter Kimmee Roleder, who also notched seven digs in the contest.

Marquette used seven kills from Jones to take the first set 25-15 after hitting a robust .522 as a team. The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 13-4 advantage on a kill by Jones and took their largest lead 21-10 on a service ace by sophomore defensive specialist Rachel Stier.

The Pioneers jumped out to a 12-9 lead in the second set to force Marquette’s first timeout and would hold on for a 25-23 victory to knot the match at one.  The Golden Eagles responded to the early deficit by tying the stanza at 16-16 and 18-18 before Sacred Heart closed out the second. SHU recorded 18 kills in the frame and hit .382 as a team.

The Golden Eagles grabbed a 7-1 advantage out of the intermission to take the pivotal third set 25-17 behind five kills from Carlson. Carlson, who entered the match leading the BIG EAST with a .394 hitting percentage, landed every one of her attacks in the frame as MU hit .423 (12-1-26) as a team.

Sacred Heart sat at set point, 24-22, in the fourth and final set but failed to close out the frame as Marquette fought back for a 27-25 win. MU used kills by Beyer to cut the gap to 24-23 and take the lead 25-24. The Golden Eagles closed out the frame and the match on a block by junior middle hitter Kelsey Mattai and redshirt junior right-side hitter Holly Mertens, who made her first start of the season Thursday night.

Marquette returns to action at Gampel Pavilion against Connecticut on Saturday at 1 p.m. before heading to Queens, N.Y. to face St. John’s at Carnesecca Arena Sunday at 1 p.m.

Marquette Golden Eagles Women's Volleyball

Printer-friendly format	Email this article