After 10 consecutive victories to open the Big East season, the Marquette women’s volleyball team (20-8, 10-2 Big East) will now need to respond after back-to-back losses at Cincinnati and Louisville this weekend.
The losses dropped Marquette from first to third in the Big East standings, with its two weekend opponents moving ahead of the them. Both losses occurred in four sets, with the Golden Eagles taking the second set in each match.
Coach Bond Shymansky’s squad certainly is not in panic mode after the losses to the top two teams in the Big East, but freshman setter Chelsea Heier said the team is ready to respond from the unsuccessful weekend.
“It was definitely a wake-up call for us,” Heier said. “We know that we have to come out fighting even harder now, and we don’t want to feel that way again.”
Senior outside hitter Ashley Beyer said the team’s first two losses of the season hurt, but there is something positive to take from it.
“After this weekend, we’re mad about losing two games and not really having the chance to win the regular season,” Beyer said. “But it pushes us, and we know it’s not that easy. We just have to come out and fight harder, and I think that puts more fire under us.”
A year ago, the Golden Eagles suffered two losses on the road to South Florida and Georgetown to open the Big East before reeling off 14 consecutive victories, so there’s optimism the team will bounce back. Prior to this past weekend, the Golden Eagles also were 6-0 following a loss, something Beyer said strengthens and focuses the team’s mentality.
“The mentality doesn’t change,” Beyer said. “We just know we have to come out harder, and that things aren’t as easy as we thought they were going to be. It’s hard to take a loss, but, then again, it pushes you a lot harder, too.”
The Golden Eagles squandered an opportunity to distance themselves in the Big East standings, dropping to third place behind Louisville and Cincinnati. One more win from the Cardinals would end any chance Marquette has at winning the Big East regular season, but redshirt senior right side Holly Mertens said the team is focused on what it is doing and nothing else.
“Standings are important, but I think we are going to look ahead to our next two games, and we want to get those two wins to finish as high as we can in the regular season,” Mertens said. “And we’re looking forward to coming home for those games and also the Big East tournament.”
The Golden Eagles have already clinched a top-five finish in the Big East, which guaranteed them a spot in the conference tournament as the top eight teams participate. Still, the team has plenty to play for, both to improve its RPI and keep a top-four spot in the Big East. Marquette could clinch a top four finish with a win over Notre Dame Friday night.
“We have two games left, and anything can happen,” Beyer said. “Notre Dame’s a good team and we can’t let them go by, and DePaul is a good team, too. So coming into this weekend, we know what we need to do and can’t take things for granted.”