The ball fell to the floor, the players hands went up, and the team rushed the floor. It’s safe to say there will be plenty of dance moves to go around on 12th and Wells over the course of the next couple of days.
It was the culmination of, what felt like for the first time since 2022, everything paid off. The ninth highest non-conference strength of schedule, the countless hours of blood, sweat and tears. The thought of keeping alive the dream of trying to go where no other Marquette team had gone before.
The fifth seeded Golden Eagles (25-8) downed the fourth seeded host Utah (25-6) Friday night at the Jon M. Huntsman Center in five sets (25-23, 25-22, 18-25, 24-26, 15-12) to advance to the Sweet 16 for just the third time in program history. It’s the first time that Marquette has done it away from home.
In the first set, the two squads went back and forth throughout the first 40 points of the match. It was your prototypical round of 32 dog fight.
After trailing by two, Utah took a 22-20 lead thanks to a 4-0 run. Marquette responded with a 5-1 run of its own to take the opening frame. Ella Foti had a block and a kill on the 23rd and 24th points of the match. Aubrey Hamilton and Natalie Ring tied for a team-high five kills.
The Golden Eagles came out firing in set two, jumping out to a 5-1 lead. Several points later, they lead 10-5, and then again, led 15-12. The Utes wouldn’t go quietly though.
A kill by Allie Olson, a pair of Ring attack errors and a Hattie Bray attack error later, Utah led 16-15.
Seven points later, the match was tied at 19. Another four points later, it was 21-all. From there, it was all Marquette.
Molly Berezowitz landed a crucial service ace to give the Golden Eagles a 23-21 lead, then Foti and Bray teamed up for a block to set up match point for Marquette.
All that for Yadhira Anchante to come in and deliver a play that has devastated opponents time and time again in her time with the Golden Eagles: the setter dump.
Speaking of Anchante — the graduate setter earned her 22nd double-double of the season Friday evening, tallying a season-high 25 digs and 51 assists. She also had five kills, with most of them coming in crucial moments.
For example, she had a kill in the fourth frame to even the set up at six after Marquette dropped set three 18-25. Then again, the Lima, Peru native had a service ace moments later to put the Golden Eagles up 10-7.
But it wasn’t enough. Marquette had Utah on the ropes, leading 23-19. But slowly, things started to unravel. First it was an attack error by Hamilton. Then it was an attack error by Foti. Next came back-to-back kills by Lauren Jardine. Finally, Kamryn Gibadlo deposited an ace in the back corner of the taraflex as Jenna Reitsma watched it land.
Timeout Marquette. The Golden Eagles — once two points away from a ticket to next round — had watched their lead evaporate before their eyes.
Marquette would lose the set 26-24 in extra points, with it all coming down to the fifth set.
Then, came the theatrics.
Marquette trailed 6-4 in the fifth, Foti was on the bench with an ankle injury she had just suffered moments before, and the Golden Eagles looked to be in big trouble.
Then came a kill from Anchante, and another from Ring. An attack error the following point by Kamry Bailey not only gave the Golden Eagles a 7-6 lead, but it gave them newfound life.
With the match tied at 10, Rianne Vos hit the tape on a serve. Then Jardine laid down a kill to even things up.
The teams traded blows until the very end, but something had to give. Aubrey Hamilton made sure it gave in Marquette’s favor.
The senior outside hitter killed the 13th point, assisted a block with Bray for the 14th, and killed the 15th. She finished with a match-high 20 kills.
The Golden Eagles will not know who their next opponent is until later tomorrow, but they do know one thing.
They’re still dancing.
This story was written by Matthew Baltz. He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter/X @MatthewBaltzMU.
