Volleyball takes down Providence in straight sets

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Photo by Maggie Bean

Coming off an emotional upset against Creighton, Marquette volleyball did what it had to do against the Providence Friars, winning 25-13, 25-23, 25-21.

The Golden Eagles began the first set strong with a 7-0 lead, forcing Providence to call timeout. Following the timeout, Marquette extended its lead to 17-10, resulting in another Friar timeout. The stoppage did little good, as Marquette would take the set 25-13, leaving Providence scrambling for answers after posting a dismal -.029 hitting percentage.

Marquette lost some momentum in the second set, allowing Providence to take a 9-5 lead. The Golden Eagles rallied and eventually tied the set at 23 on a kill from middle blocker Jenna Rosenthal, then went on to take the frame 25-23.

“We wanted (Rosenthal) to be able to be physical and try to out-physical everybody,” Theis said. “She’s got a pretty big size advantage. We thought she could have a big match and she did.”

In the third set, Marquette and Providence started out neck and neck, with the Golden Eagles clinging to a 14-12 lead midway through the set. Following a Providence timeout, sophomore Allie Barber picked up three of her 15 kills, helping to extend the Golden Eagle lead to 23-18. The Friars called for another stoppage in play, but it didn’t do much good. Marquette would secure the set 25-21 after a Providence net violation.

With an eight-game winning streak in hand, Marquette will head out east next weekend for matches at Villanova Saturday and Georgetown Sunday.