After taking a leap under Cara Consuegra’s staff at Marquette, Lee Volker is ready to embark on her next adventure, both on and off the court.
The Purcellville, Virginia native racked up All-Big East Second Team selections in each of the two seasons that she started for Marquette, as a senior and as a graduate student. Additionally, she shot over 40% from beyond the arc and averaged over 11 points per game in both of those campaigns.
Volker also represented her country through UniUSA , in the 3-on-3 women’s basketball FISU World University Games in Germany last summer before her final encore in blue & gold.
“Professional basketball, in general, has a more physical play style,” Volker said. “Getting to experience that with 3-on-3 was a good introduction to how overseas basketball is probably a little different than college basketball.”
Marquette assistant coach Deont’a McChester said that Volker’s versatility, earning her the nickname “Swiss Army Knife”, will serve her well at the pro level, defending against a variety of opposing skillsets, from crafty passing to post play.
“There were times where Coach Cara [Consuegra] told her that she was going to guard point guards, also times were Lee got thrown into being a four,” McChester said. “She was so versatile and willing to do whatever position, because she wanted to win.”
During her junior year at Marquette, Volker came off the bench behind starters Frannie Hottinger, Liza Karlen and Jordan King– all of whom have played professional basketball overseas since the conclusion of their collegiate careers.
Volker said as she goes through this time of transition, having that connection has given her an extra boost.
“It’s intimidating to do something new, they all ended up having a lot of fun, and found success (there),” Volker said. “They’re definitely good resources for any kind of questions that I have.”
Hottinger has played two seasons in Europe, her first being with Eisvogel USC Freiburg in Germany, and her most recent trip across the pond to England, as she suited up for Manchester Basketball in 2025-26.
Volker and her were teammates for one year at Marquette, during the 2023-24 season. Hottinger said that since their last time wearing the blue & gold together, Volker has stacked the days.
“I think [Volker] developed much more in her leadership role, her skills are more refined, she’s more athletic, and she is more confident in herself,” Hottinger said.
McChester, who served as her position coach, said that Volker’s relentless drive to keep building is what sets her apart— even through the Milwaukee winter weather.
“We were supposed to be having a 7 a.m. workout, I am battling to get through the snow, she’s walking to the gym, and she had to stop and do a snowman,” McChester said. “That is one of my favorite stories about her because she loved basketball, she loves snow, and she’s a worker. When you get a worker, and someone who loves basketball, it makes it a lot easier for a position coach.”
With her degrees in hand, and agent signed, Volker said that her college experience has given her the foundation for turning the page and her second stint in Germany– signing with Syntainics MBC, a professional team that competes in the Basketball Bundesliga, on June 12.
But keeping her focus through the transition of college to professional has been an intentional process for her.
“This is my first time not having classes in the summer, I usually try to get a lift and a shooting workout in the morning, and then a skills workout in a day as well,” Volker said.
Hottinger said that taking in the surroundings, and the experience of playing a professional sport in a new market in a holistic fashion is key.
“At the end of the day, you’re the only one that has to live in your shoes,” Hottinger said. “Being open, flexible and adaptable; which you do learn in college, but you have to dial it up tenfold– I had to learn how to drive stick shift in my first month in Germany, and then knowing that it’s so much more beyond basketball.”
Taking time to complement her basketball training, with going fishing with longtime teammate Halle Vice, finding a walking path and looking for new food places helped Volker find balance amidst her college graduation.
The journey that college hoops sparked for Volker has taken her to a variety of arenas— historical locations in the United States, a steppingstone overseas, Thanksgiving events, and the Big East Tournament— helping take her places that were once a dream to her.
“Basketball has allowed me to meet people and go places that I never would have met or gone without it,” Volker said.
This article was written by Mikey Severson. He can be reached at michael.severson@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @MikeySeversonMU.
