With three spectator sports competing this fall, there are lots of games for Golden Eagles fans to watch. Here are 10 of the most significant games:
Sept. 1, Volleyball vs. Western Kentucky — The Hilltoppers are currently ranked 29th in the NCAA Ratings Percentage Index and are a powerhouse in the Conference USA. This will be the first time Marquette will play Western Kentucky in head coach Ryan Theis’ tenure.
Sept. 6, Women’s soccer vs. Colorado — Colorado, which made an at-large bid in the NCAA Championships last year, will be an early non-conference challenge for the Golden Eagles. The Buffaloes are currently ranked 42nd in RPI and will come at an important time in Marquette’s schedule. With matches against Duke and North Carolina coming up, Colorado may be the team’s first win of 2018.
Sept. 8, Volleyball vs. BYU — This will be the first meeting of the Golden Eagles and Cougars since Marquette’s five-set heartbreaker (25-23, 19-25, 25-17, 14-25, 15-12) in 2013 at BYU. The Cougars are 15th in RPI after going 30-3 and appearing in last year’s NCAA regional semifinals.
Sept. 14, Volleyball vs. Wisconsin — The Golden Eagles host in-state rival the Badgers, the team who knocked them out of the NCAA Tournament in 2017. The Badgers are 13th in RPI after a 22-10 record and third place finish in the Big Ten last season.
Sept. 23, Volleyball at Creighton — Marquette travels to Omaha, Nebraska, to take on Creighton, the 2017 BIG EAST champions. Last season, the Golden Eagles defeated Creighton in the regular season but fell to the Bluejays in a five-set thriller (25-22, 18-25, 25-23, 17-25, 15-11) in the 2017 BIG EAST Championship.
Sept. 26, Men’s soccer vs. Wisconsin — Marquette will look for its first win against its in-state rival since 2015. The 2017 Big Ten champions took the 3-0 win over Marquette the last time these two teams met, and the team is ranked 18th in RPI.
Sept. 29, Men’s soccer vs. Georgetown — The Golden Eagles will host the 2017 BIG EAST champions and consistent top-25 power. Marquette has not defeated the Hoyas since 2009. The last time these two teams played, the Hoyas had a 2-1 win in Washington D.C.
Oct. 4, Women’s soccer vs. DePaul — The Golden Eagles take on their southern BIG EAST rivals nearly a year after Marquette beat DePaul 2-0 in Chicago. DePaul fell to Marquette three times in the last five matches they’ve played against each other.
Oct. 18, Women’s soccer vs. Georgetown — Marquette faces its biggest challenge of the season against the 2017 BIG EAST champions and the current No. 25 team in NCAA RPI standings. The Hoyas triumphed 3-0 and outshot the Golden Eagles 22-3 in last year’s match. Georgetown leads the all-time series against Marquette, and is 4-0-1 over the last five meetings.
Oct. 28, Men’s soccer at Butler — Last season, the Bulldogs ruined Senior Night for the Golden Eagles with a 2-1 win, but this season Marquette will be looking for revenge. Butler is ranked 12th in RPI and ended 2017 with a 2-0 loss to top-seeded Wake Forest in the third round of the NCAA Championships.
