Oct. 18, 2012

Marquette Volleyball (17-3, 7-0 BIG EAST)
Marquette Notes (PDF) 

vs. Cincinnati (8-13, 6-2 BIG EAST)
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Friday, Oct. 19
Al McGuire Center
7 p.m.

vs No. 15 Louisville (18-3, 7-1 BIG EAST) 
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Sunday, Oct. 21
Al McGuire Center
2 p.m.
Dig Pink - Donate Now 
2013 Summer Camp Auction 

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University women's volleyball team will put its undefeated conference record on the line when it welcomes Cincinnati and No. 15 Louisville to the Al McGuire Center for matches on Friday, Oct. 19 and Sunday, Oct. 21.

Friday's match against the Bearcats is scheduled for 7 p.m., while Sunday's contest against the Cardinals is slated for a 2 p.m. opening serve and is Marquette's annual `Dig Pink' match, benefiting the Side-Out Foundation and its fight against breast cancer. Fans can donate a set amount at the link above or pledge a specific amount per dig in the Louisville match. Dig Pink t-shirts will also be for sale at both matches and an iPad 2 will be given away.

Cincinnati and Louisville are the only two BIG EAST Conference opponents to have defeated the Golden Eagles over their last 33 regular season conference matches. Marquette has won 29 consecutive contests against league foes not named Cincinnati or Louisville, but is just 1-3 against the Bearcats and Cardinals over that span. MU's lone victory against the pair in the last two years came in a 3-2 victory over U of L on Nov. 12, 2010 after trailing 2-0.

Live statistics will be available for both matches, as will live streaming video on GoMarquette.com's All-Access Player, MUTube. For additional updates on the weekend's action, follow Marquette volleyball on Twitter (@MarquetteVB).

SCOUTING THE COMPETITION:
CINCINNATI [8-13 (6-2 BIG EAST) | UCBearcats.com | @CincinnatiVBall]: After a sluggish 4-13 start to the season, first-year head coach Molly Avery has directed Cincinnati to four-straight wins. The Bearcats are coming off a pair road victories, topping Connecticut in a five sets on Oct. 12, before earning a 3-1 win over St. John's just two days later. Senior outside hitter Jordanne Scott is the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Week after tallying double-doubles against both the Huskies and Red Storm. Series history: UC leads 29-6.

No. 15 LOUISVILLE [18-3 (7-1 BIG EAST) | UofLSports.com | @UofLVolleyball]: Louisville enters the weekend with an 18-3 overall record and 7-1 mark in conference play, sitting right behind MU in the BIG EAST standings. U of L's lone conference set back came on Sept. 23 in a five-set loss to Notre Dame. The Cardinals, ranked No. 15 in the latest AVCA Coaches' Poll, have claimed victories in seven of their last eight matches, which includes victories over St. John's and Connecticut last weekend. Senior Lola Arslanbekova leads the BIG EAST with a 4.95 kills per set average, while classmate Gwen Rucker paces the league with 86 blocks (1.34 per set). Series history: UL leads 24-4.

MARQUETTE REMAINS BIG EAST'S LONE UNBEATEN; CARLSON ON LEAGUE HONOR ROLL: The Golden Eagles continued to roll last week with victories over Western Michigan, Seton Hall and Rutgers to push their match winning streak to 10 contests and their BIG EAST record to a perfect 7-0. While Lindsey Gosh landed a career-high 19 kills in the win at Seton Hall and Holly Mertens notched a career-best 23 kills to help MU rally from a 2-0 deficit at Rutgers, Danielle Carlson was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after hitting .444 in the Golden Eagles' three wins. Carlson led MU with 14 kills and hit .636 (14-0-22) in the sweep of the Broncos and tallied just three hitting errors in all 13 sets combined.

MARQUETTE TO HOST DIG PINK MATCH ON OCT. 21: Fans can help Marquette achieve its goal of a $5,000 donation to the Side-Out Foundation by donating a set amount or on a per-dig basis for its match against the Cardinals. (To donate, go to http://bit.ly/DigPinkMU). If the Golden Eagles reach their goal of $5,000, head coach Bond Shymansky has agreed to don a pair of the student section's `Marquette Maniacs' blue and gold overalls as he coaches MU against UConn on Friday, Nov. 2.

DANIE CARLSON - 2012 SENIOR CLASS AWARD CANDIDATE: Senior middle hitter Danielle Carlson has been selected as a candidate for the 2012 Senior CLASS Award, honoring NCAA Division I women's volleyball. Ballots will be distributed through a nationwide voting system to media, coaches and fans, who will select one of 10 finalists who best exemplifies excellence in character, competition, the classroom and the community. For more information on Carlson's candidacy, go to http://bit.ly/DanieCLASS.

QUICK HITS/RECENT PROGRAM HISTORY:
• Marquette is receiving 41 points in the AVCA Division I Coaches Top 25 Poll (Oct. 15), up from 22 last week. It sits just two spots outside the top 25.
• The Golden Eagles are ranked No. 32 in the NCAA Division I Ratings Percentage Index rankings, released on Oct. 15.
• With four more digs, junior Julie Jeziorowski will tie Erin Freer (1,405) for second place on MU's career digs list.
• Marquette has a pair of BIG EAST individual statistical leaders in Kelsey Mattai (.380 hitting pct.) and Elizabeth Koberstein (11.39 assists/set). MU also leads the BIG EAST in team hitting percentage (.270).
• The Al McGuire Center will host the 2012 BIG EAST Women's Volleyball Championship on Nov. 16-18.
• The victory over No. 23 Michigan on Sept. 7 marks the highest-ranked opponent MU has ever defeated.
• Marquette was picked second in the BIG EAST Conference Preseason Coaches' Poll. Seniors Danielle Carlson and Holly Mertens were both All-BIG EAST Preseason Team selections.
• Six Marquette players have earned AVCA All-America honors over the last two years. Carlson could become MU's first two-time AVCA All-American.
• Shymansky earned BIG EAST Conference and AVCA Northeast Region Coach of the Year honors in 2011, his second such awards after earning ACC and AVCA East Region honors in 2004.
• The Golden Eagles' BIG EAST record has improved each year under Shymansky (2009: 6-8; 2010: 11-3; 2011: 12-2).

UP NEXT: Marquette heads back to the East Coast to take on Georgetown on Friday, Oct. 26 and Villanova on Sunday, Oct. 28.

2012 Honors and Awards:

Danielle Carlson
2012 Ambassador Hotel Golden Eagle Classic MVP
2012 All-Marquette Invitational
2012 All-Xavier Invitational
2012 All-Marquette Challenge
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (Sept. 17, Oct. 15)
All-BIG EAST Preseason Team 

Lindsey Gosh
2012 All-Xavier Invitational

Julie Jeziorowski
2012 All-Ambassador Hotel Golden Eagle Classic

Elizabeth Koberstein
2012 Xavier Invitational MVP
2012 All-Ambassador Hotel Golden Eagle Classic
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (Sept. 3, Sept. 24)

Erin Lehman
2012 All-Marquette Challenge

Kelsey Mattai
BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (Oct. 8)

Holly Mertens
BIG EAST Player of the Week (Oct. 1)
All-BIG EAST Preseason Team