Right before Marquette's final Thanksgiving Tournament, senior Ashlee Fisher and junior Caryn Mastandrea were suspended until the end of the season for "team reasons," Steve Cottingham, Marquette athletic director said.,”The Marquette women's volleyball team ended its tumultuous season with a pair of losses, no head coach and the suspension of two starters.

Right before Marquette's final Thanksgiving Tournament, senior Ashlee Fisher and junior Caryn Mastandrea were suspended until the end of the season for "team reasons," Steve Cottingham, Marquette athletic director said.

The new coach will determine whether Mastandrea, the team's setter, will continue to play during the spring season, while Fisher, an outside hitter, will graduate. The players are retaining their scholarships, Cottingham said.

Fisher holds the highest number of kills on the team, with 381, and holds the third highest average in the Big East in kills.

Mastandrea leads the team in sets with 933 assists and ranks No. 10 in the Big East in hitting percentage.

The pair's absence was apparent in the last two 3-0 defeats against Western Michigan and Miami (Ohio). During the Western Michigan game, the Broncos went on a 20-4 run in the third set, and in the Miami game, the Redhawks won the third set 25-9.

Yet players successfully stepped into new positions, such as junior Hailey Viola as setter, who recorded her first double-double with 20 assists and 10 digs. Outside hitter Leslie Bielski made eight kills against Western Michigan.

Players and interim head coach Erica Heisser declined to comment about the players' suspension.

Heisser did say, however, that she was proud of the players who took on new positions.

"Hailey did a tremendous job against Western (Michigan) and Miami," Heisser said. "She did a tremendous job leading the team and stepping into a new position."

The lack of two key players was just one string in a line of season setbacks, including former coach Pati Rolf's sudden resignation and the team's 11-18 record.

Heisser said she looks at the challenges the team faced this season with the saying, "Adversity only makes you stronger."

"As people experience these things as young people, they only move forward having the knowledge of how these experiences made you a stronger better person," Heisser said. "They know how to respond to challenges and adversity."

Heisser assumed the head coach position after being one of the assistant coach for three years. She said she's resigning from coaching after this season to pursue graduate school.

Freshman Ciara Jones, who came to Marquette from Orlando, Fla., said Rolf's departure was tough.

"It was hard because she was one of the main reasons I came up here," Jones said.

"But it's always good to get new blood in there teaching new things, and just going in a different direction always helps, so I can't be too upset about it."

Bielski, who ranks behind Fisher in kills (307), said she has taken the coaching change as a learning experience.

"It's not like you're always going to have the same coach," Bielski said. "Men's basketball got a new coach, and they're doing very well now, so change is good I guess."

The Golden Eagles finished 11th in the Big East, after Louisville won the Big East Championship. They were behind their opponents in all categories except digs and blocking — Marquette's strengths.

With the help of freshman middle blocker Tiara Russell, who started every game for the Golden Eagles because of injuries, Marquette ranks fourth in the Big East in blocks. Russell recorded 124 total blocks — the highest on the team.

Heisser said she is excited for next year, especially with top recruits coming to Marquette instead of Wisconsin. The team's four recruits for the 2009 season include Carol Henney, from Burlington, Wis., who was named 79th in the nation by prepvolleyball.com.

"It's exciting to see where the team goes in the future," Heisser said. "There's so many great athletes to come in the fall it's going to be exciting."

Junior Katie Vancura said players will be young next year but will play maturely on the floor. She said the Golden Eagles are ready for the new coach.

"Now we know where we stand and what we need to get ready for the future," Vancura said. "With a new coach coming in, everyone is ready to work hard."

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