It was a weekend of sweeps for Marquette volleyball.
It started with the Golden Eagles (4-4) handing out a sweep of their own, and ended with them getting a taste of their own medicine.
Marquette played in the Pitt Invitational over the weekend, an event that featured No. 1 Pittsburgh and East Carolina.
Here’s a look at the Golden Eagles’ weekend:
East Carolina
All six starters (Jenna Reitsma, Carsen Murray, Aubrey Hamilton, Ella Foti, Hattie Bray and Yadhira Anchante) finished Saturday’s match with five or more kills. It was the balanced attack combined with the Golden Eagles’ eight blocks that led to their sweep (25-14, 25-17, 25-23) of the Pirates.
After easily winning the first two sets, Marquette was challenged by East Carolina in the third.
Trailing 21-14, the Pirates went on a 9-2 run to claim a 23-22 lead. But three consecutive kills from graduate middle blocker Murray put the match away for the Golden Eagles, who earned their second sweep of the season.
“I thought we had awesome balance the first two sets and played really efficiently, some of the cleanest we’ve played,” head coach Ryan Theis said after the game in a release from Marquette Athletics. “We didn’t really maintain that in the third but I was happy to see us side-out and block a ball out when necessary.”
Graduate setter Anchante finished with her sixth consecutive double-double (34 assists and 12 digs), with the Golden Eagles hitting a season-high .411 as a team.
Pitt
Entering Sunday, the top ranked Panthers were 8-0, having lost just two sets all season. After getting swept handily last season at the Al McGuire Center, the Golden Eagles knew they would have their hands full at Fitzgerald Field House.
A hitting percentage of .162 combined with 17 attack errors certainly wasn’t going to get it done against the nation’s best, as Marquette got swept (25-18, 25-18, 26-16) by Pitt on Sunday.
The closest the Golden Eagles were to handing the Panthers their third set loss of the season was in the second frame. Junior outside hitter Natalie Ring was coming off back-to-back kills as the Golden Eagles trailed 23-18.
But Pitt wouldn’t be denied its chance at its eighth sweep of the year, as kills from senior setter Rachel Fairbanks and sixth year outside hitter Valeria Vasquez Gomez put an end to any hope of Marquette winning a set in the contest.
Up next
The Golden Eagles open up their quest for a fourth consecutive Big East regular season championship Friday against UConn at the Al McGuire Center. The opening serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. CST.
This story was written by Matthew Baltz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MatthewBaltzMU.
