Nov. 2, 2006

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MILWAUKEE - With a four-match winning streak and chance to clinch a spot in the BIG EAST Tournament on the line, the Marquette volleyball team (13-11, 8-3) hosts Connecticut (16-9, 5-5), tonight at 7 p.m., on Senior Day, and St. John's (25-1, 10-0), Sunday at 2 p.m., in the Golden Eagles final match at the Al McGuire Center in 2006. MU is currently in third place in the conference standings by one-half match with three to play and can secure a spot in the tournament field with a victory against UConn.

"This is a very big weekend for two reasons," said head coach Pati Rolf. "First, we can improve our standings for the conference tournament, and second, we can continue to improve our level of play. We still are pushing so that when we get into the conference tournament, we can give ourselves the opportunity to reach the conference final. We are elevating our consistency and elevating the play of certain players. Both matches are big opportunities for us."

One of the many reasons for Marquette's success this season is senior Jamie Mueller. After setting schools records for most digs in a match (41 vs. Pacific) and most digs in a career (1,471 and counting) earlier this season, as well as playing in her 100th career match, Mueller recently set another record. In the team's 3-2 victory over Villanova, Oct. 29, the outside hitter tallied 38 kills to set an MU and BIG EAST record for kills in a match and was named to the BIG EAST Honor Roll. This weekend, Mueller has yet another opportunity to etch her name into the record books. She has 421 digs in 2006 and is 21 from setting the single-season mark. With 38 more kills, the senior can also reach the 1,000-kill milestone, something only eight others have done before her. Mueller would, however, become the only student-athlete in the school's history to tally 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs in a career.

"She has been playing well all season, but even more so as of late," explained Rolf. "Throughout her entire career, she has always been very consistent, both in the frontcourt and the backcourt. She is a hard worker and numbers reflect hard work. Working with the intensity that Jamie does is the only way you can set records like that."

To this point, it hasn't been just Mueller who has carried the team. A cast of 13 others has contributed in one way or another throughout the season. Junior Kimberley Todd continues to rank as not only one of the most powerful hitters in the BIG EAST, but also in the NCAA. She is second in the conference and 28th in the country with 4.65 K/G. Junior Monica Renfrow is now eighth in the league with 10.62 A/G, and Marquette as a team ranks sixth in the BIG EAST, averaging 2.47 B/G, thanks to the efforts of Todd (0.98 B/G), freshman Leslie Bielski (0.92 B/G) and junior Tiffany Helmbrecht (0.99 B/G).

The Huskies enter Friday's contest with a three-match winning streak and are 5-5 on the road this season. Sade Chambers leads the team with a 3.09 K/G average, and close behind her with 2.93 K/G is Gina Heiderman, who also ranks fourth in the BIG EAST with 0.52 SA/G and sixth with a 35.8 hitting percentage. Bridget Denson-Dorman is third in the conference with 12.48 A/G, and Megan Silver (1.29 B/G) and Lorelle Shaub (1.15 B/G) rank eighth and 10th in block per game, respectively.

"I expect Connecticut to be a very physical team," Rolf said. "They have big hitters and a very technically sound setter who combined put together a very nice offense. Our job is to come out and play our game, try and throw them off balance. Sade Chambers has caused problems for other teams this season, so one of our main focuses will be on her. We are also going to focus on running our offense and keeping the speed up."

The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series 2-0, including a 3-1 victory in Storrs, Conn., last season when Mueller connected for 16 kills and 15 digs.

On Sunday, Marquette faces its toughest challenge of the season in St. John's. The Red Storm's only loss this year came to USC, currently ranked No. 6 in the CSTV/AVCA Coaches Poll, at a tournament in South Carolina on Sept. 9. STJ is 9-0 on the road and is led offensively by Hui Ping Huang, who ranks third in the BIG EAST with a 36.2 hitting percentage and ninth with 3.97 K/G. Caitlin Ringaila is also a force up front, ranking seventh in the league with a 35.7 hitting percentage. Setting up the duo is Viola Leszczynska, and with a 11.34 A/G average is seventh in the conference. As a team, St. John's leads the nation with 17.58 K/G.

"St. John's has multiple weapons on the court. Our task will be to play consistent, methodical volleyball. It will be important to not get discouraged when they make big plays. We need to be disciplined with our passing and serving and really elevate our play overall. If you are going to beat a team like St. John's, you really need to get into the flow of the game and then control it. That is what we are working towards. It is what we expect of good teams and what we expect of ourselves."

In the only match ever between the teams last season, Mueller tallied 26 kills, but it was not enough as Huang answered with 23 to lead her team to a 3-1 victory.

Marquette has a lot weighing on the line this weekend, but Rolf is confident in her team's ability to be successful against Connecticut and St. John's.

"We are trying to enter the match against St. John's knowing they are undefeated in the conference, knowing they are currently the number one seed in the tournament, but we are also coming in knowing we are capable of being one of the top-three teams in the BIG EAST. We are going to work hard, especially against Connecticut, to establish some ground, and then enter St. John's with a lot of energy, enthusiasm and consistency. If we end up winning, we should have. We have a very capable team that can play at a high level with St. John's. Our goal is, and always has been, to win the conference tournament and St. John's will be on that road eventually."