In a season marked by change and growth, Marquette women’s basketball is undergoing a cultural transformation under new leadership with six new players. Central to this shift is returning senior Lee Volker, who has bought into head coach Cara Consuegra’s standard of working and playing hard for those around you.
“I’ve been really fortunate because all the returners have bought in very quickly to the culture I’m trying to teach, the way that I do things and right from the get-go Lee (Volker) has been echoing everything I am saying and that can make or break you when you’re trying to build a culture,” Consuegra said.
The standard is built on discipline, effort, accountability and lifting up those around them. Volker leads by setting an example of what that looks like.
“I think as a senior obviously you have the experience to back it up (leadership), but I think a lot of it comes from leading by example and trying to do my best to do what coach is asking so that way I have the credibility to be able to hold others accountable,” Volker said.
Volker’s impact extends beyond her leadership qualities. Last season, the Purcellville, Virginia native averaged 3.5 points and 2.6 rebounds per game while playing 15 minutes per game. This year, she is averaging 17 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.3 steals and is averaging 25 minutes per contest.
“She’s just so smart. I can teach one thing, and she’s got it,” Consuegra said. “Then, she’s out there making sure everyone else understands it too.”
Volker’s journey as a leader has pushed her to grow in new ways, specifically vocally.
“That’s been a big step for me,” Volker said. “I’m not always the loudest, but this team has been great, and they respond so well and we all listen to each other.”
With a team full of transfers, a community can be hard to build. Thus, the team tries to spend as much time as possible together on and off the court.
“(Building cultures) is something we have been very aware of this year with so many new people, but we really are best friends,” Volker said.
The players’ trust in each other is meaningless without trust in Consuegra. Volker, along with the rest of the team, is committed to what their first-year coach is building.
“I think Cara (Consuegra) is super intentional with her talk and just her expectations of us,” Volker said. “She really allows us to be player-led. She does a great job of teaching in a way that still builds confidence in you, so I really appreciate that.”
Even after a bad practice, Volker and the players maintain their belief in Consuegra.
“We know when she yells or anything like that it comes from a place where she knows we can be better,” Volker said. “When she does yell, which is very rarely, that is our cue to get going.”
Despite a strong foundation and high standards, Marquette faced early-season challenges, losing their opening two games against UCF 57-50 and Illinois 65-53.
“I think in terms of where we need to grow still is in the little things and consistency of it,” Consuegra said. “They know what we are supposed to be doing; they know the standards and they believe in it, but they still aren’t consistently executing it.”
Consuegra cites Marquette’s two early-season losses as an example.
“We felt against UCF we out-hustled them, out-toughed them and really outplayed them just came up a little short,” Consuegra said. “We felt kind of the opposite against Illinois, so that’s the consistency, being who we are going to be based on our culture and our standards regardless of the situation.”
The Golden Eagles finally broke into the win column Monday against the University of Illinois Springfield, grabbing a 92-37 in Consuegra’s return to the Al McGuire Center.
Although this foundational shift hasn’t led to many wins early on, it’s not just a vision. Led by Volker, it is happening one practice and one game at a time.
This story was written by Max Mullin. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MullinMax
