Marquette University Athletics
Weekly Marquette Volleyball Release
11/15/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 15, 1999
MILWAUKEE - Golden Eagles Heads To Conference USA Tournament In Tampa, Will Face Memphis In First-Round Action The Marquette volleyball team, 16-11 overall and 9-7 against Conference USA competition, heads to the Conference USA Tournament in Tampa, Fla., this week. First-round action gets underway on Thursday, Nov. 18 and the championship match will be played on Sunday, Nov. 21.
The Golden Eagles are seeded #6 and will face #11 seed Memphis on Thursday, Nov. 18, at 1 p.m. ET. The winner will face #3 seed Houston in second-round action.
Conference USA Tournament Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 18
#6 MARQUETTE vs. #11 Memphis 1 p.m.
#7 UNC Charlotte vs. #10 Southern Miss 3 p.m.
#5 Saint Louis vs. #12 UAB 6 p.m.
#8 South Florida vs. #9 Tulane 8 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 19
#3 Houston vs. Marquette-Memphis winner 1 p.m.
#2 Louisville vs. UNC Charlotte-Southern Miss winner 3 p.m.
#4 DePaul vs. Saint Louis-UAB winner 6 p.m.
#1 Cincinnati vs. South Florida-Tulane winner 8 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 20
Semifinal #1 1 p.m.
Semifinal #2 3 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 21
Championship 1 p.m.
The championship match will be televised on Fox Sports Net.
Scouting Marquette The Golden Eagles are 16-11 overall and were 9-7 in C-USA regular-season action. Marquette?s nine wins against Conference USA opponents are the most in school history. The Golden Eagles split their final pair of Conference USA regular-season matches last weekend. Marquette dropped a 3-1 decision at Saint Louis and swept UNC Charlotte 3-0.
The Golden Eagles average 15.61 kills, 14.24 assists, 1.66 aces, 15.83 digs and 2.19 blocks and hit .199. In 16 Conference USA matches the team averaged 16.16 kills, 14.92 assists, 1.64 aces, 16.05 digs and 2.16 blocks and hit .195.
Vesna Grbavac averages 4.54 kills and served 34 aces, both team highs. She also hits .237 and chips in 2.83 digs a game. Chris Curtin ranks second on the team with a 3.52 kills average and averages 0.91 blocks and hits .266. Kelly Kaylor tops the squad with averages of 0.35 aces and 3.22 digs a game. Mehgan Devine averages a team-best 1.24 blocks and hits .267.
Liz Egasti averages 13.04 assists, best among the Golden Eagles, and served 25 aces and averaged 2.35 digs.
Head Coach Laura Farina Laura Farina is in her first campaign as a college coach and has a 16-11 record. Her 16 victories are the most by a first-year coach in school history.
Farina was named the second coach in school history on Jan. 25. She spent the previous six seasons as an assistant at Michigan State. A 1992 graduate of Illinois, she was a Second-Team All-American. Farina also received a master?s degree from Michigan State in 1998.
Farina is assisted by Courtney DeBolt and Matt Darling.
Scouting Memphis The Tigers are 11-21 overall and were 4-12 against Conference USA opponents. Memphis had its four-match winning streak ended in its C-USA regular-season finale against Tulane on Nov. 14.
Memphis averages 12.64 kills, 10.87 assists, 1.69 aces, 14.26 digs and 2.20 blocks a game and hits .169.
Rosie Glenn averages a team-best 2.67 kills and 2.58 digs a game. Sarah Wengler has the highest hitting percentage (.243) among the Tigers and averages 0.88 blocks a game. Amie Hamilton has served a team-high 46 aces for an average of 0.38 a game. Hamilton also sports the highest digs average (2.83 dpg) on the team.
Head coach Carrie Yerty is in her fourth season at the helm of the Tigers and has a 54-79 record. Her career mark is the same.
Memphis holds a 9-4 lead in the all-time series with the Golden Eagles. Thursday?s match marks the first time the teams are facing off in the Conference USA Tournament. The teams did meet in the first round of the 1992 Great Midwest Tournament. Memphis posted a 3-1 victory.
Marquette won the regular-season meeting between the teams, 15-4, 15-8, 15-5, on Sept. 24 in Milwaukee. The Golden Eagles hit .385, which established a team season best, while Memphis managed to hit just .060. Marquette also recorded 47 kills to 22 by the Lady Tigers.
Chris Curtin paced Marquette with 14 kills and hit .528, tying the season's best hitting percentage by a Golden Eagle. Katherine Lindros added 11 kills, four aces and 10 digs, while Vesna Grbavac had 10 kills. Mehgan Devine had a match-high four block assists.
Ginger Garrett topped Memphis with seven kills.
Last Week in Review The Golden Eagles concluded the Conference USA regular season with a 1-1 record on the road last weekend. Here?s a review of those matches:
Saint Louis 3, MARQUETTE 1 - The Golden Eagles had their four-match winning streak halted on Nov. 11 in St. Louis, as the host Billikens defeated the Golden Eagles 15-10, 15-13, 10-15, 15-12 in a tightly-contested match.
The Billikens hit .266 as a team and had 15 total team blocks. Marquette hit just .199 and committed 13 service errors.
Laura Risley and Cristal Leonard topped the Billikens with 27 and 23 kills, respectively. Risley hit .469 (27-4-49) for the match and had seven block assists. Colleen Hunter added 19 kills for the Billikens.
Marquette was led by Vesna Grbavac's 26 kills, the fourth straight match she has surpassed the 20-kill mark. Kelly Kaylor added 15 kills and a match-high 20 digs. Mehgan Devine chipped in 14 kills and seven block assists and hit .355. Chris Curtin rounded out the double-digit kill producers with 12.
MARQUETTE 3, UNC Charlotte 0 - Marquette concluded its Conference USA regular season with a 15-3, 15-7, 15-2 sweep of UNC Charlotte on Nov. 14 in Charlotte.
The Golden Eagles hit .330 (48-11-112), their best outing in 15 matches. Marquette also registered nine total team blocks and limited UNC Charlotte to a .038 hitting percentage, the low by an opponent in seven contests.
Vesna Grbavac led all players with 18 kills and hit .419 (18-5-31). She also had a team-high 11 digs and served two aces. Chris Curtin chipped in 12 kills and hit .444 (12-0-27). Curtin had six digs, two block solos and two block assists.
Esra Akgun topped the 49ers with eight kills and 13 assists.
Marquette Volleyball Team Earns District Ranking Marquette earned its highest-ever ranking in the Oct. 4 District 6 poll. The Golden Eagles were ranked sixth and were one of four Conference USA teams.
Golden Eagles Face Tough Schedule Marquette has one match remaining against a nationally-ranked opponent. The Golden Eagles will face No. 4 Florida at the Florida Volleyball Conference Challenge on Nov. 27. Marquette dropped a 3-0 decision to then-#13 Wisconsin on Sept. 17.
In addition to those two teams, five other opponents - Houston, Louisville, Northern Illinois, South Florida, UW-Milwaukee - played in the 1998 NCAA Tournament. Florida advanced to the national semifinal match, losing to eventual champion Long Beach State.
Marquette?s All-Time Record in the Conference USA Tournament The Golden Eagles are 1-4 all-time in the Conference USA Tournament. Here is a year-by-year list of Marquette?s results:
1995 Southern Miss 3, Marquette 2
1996 Marquette 3, UNC Charlotte 1, Houston 3, Marquette 0
1997 Tulane 3, Marquette 1
1998 UNC Charlotte 3, Marquette 2
Chris Curtin Establishes Marquette Career Kills Record Senior Chris Curtin set the Marquette career kills record against Southern Miss on Oct. 29. She now has 1,247 career kills through three-plus seasons. Curtin surpassed Martha Meyer who held the record with 1,140. Meyer was a four-year letterwinner from 1994-97.
Curtin is one of just four Marquette players who has record 1,000 or more career kills.
Liz Egasti Sets Marquette Career Assist Record Junior Liz Egasti broke the Marquette career record in assists on Oct. 15 against Houston.
Egasti overtook Jennifer Martin, who set the previous record of 3,651 assists from 1988-91. Through 27 matches this season, she has 4,170 career assists.
Egasti holds the top three single-season assist records and is one of three players to surpass the 1,000-assist mark in one season. Her 1,317 assists this season are the third most in one Marquette campaign. She is the only player in school history to hold the top three single-season marks in one statistical category.
Golden Eagles Set Match Records Five match records were set or tied during the weekend series of Nov. 5 and Nov. 7.
Against Cincinnati on Nov. 5, Liz Egasti established a match record with 88 assists. The previous record was set by Mary Donohue on Nov. 15, 1986, against Valparaiso. The Golden Eagles set the single-match record with 259 hitting attempts and tied the team records with 102 kills and 94 assists.
In Marquette?s next outing against Louisville on Nov. 7, Vesna Grbavac became the first player in school history to reach the 30-kill mark. Her 30 kills replaced the previous record of 29, which Christine Norgle set against Valparaiso on Nov. 15, 1986.
Climbing the Career Charts Two Golden Eagles rank among Marquette?s all-time leaders in several statistical categories. Here?s the breakdown:
Kills - 1. Chris Curtin 1,247
Attempts - 2. Chris Curtin 2,988 (48 shy of first)
Assists - 1. Liz Egasti 4,170
Service Aces - 8. Liz Egasti 92 (15 shy of seventh)
Block Solos - 5. Chris Curtin 67 (2 shy of fourth)
Block Assists - 2. Chris Curtin 296 (68 shy of first)
Grbavac Sets Single-Season Kills and Hitting Attempts Marks Vesna Grbavac established Marquette single-season kills record on Nov. 11 at Saint Louis. She now has 458 kills to her credit this season. She overtook Kristin Patterson, who set the previous mark of 432 during the 1985 season. Grbavac and Patterson are the only players in school history to record 400 or more kills in one season. Patterson accomplished that feat in both 1984 and 1985.
In the Nov. 14 sweep of UNC Charlotte, she moved into first place on Marquette?s single season hitting attempts list. She has 1,154 hitting attempts to her credit in 1999.
Marquette Players Join Single-Season Leaders Vesna Grbavac and Liz Egasti have joined the single-season leaders in two statistical categories. Here?s where the two rank:
Kills - 1. Vesna Grbavac 458
Hitting Attempts - 1. Vesna Grbavac 1,154
Assists - 3. Liz Egasti 1,317 (6 shy of second)
Golden Eagles Among Conference USA Statistical Leaders In last week?s Conference USA Statistics, several Golden Eagles were among the league leaders. Here?s the breakdown:
Kills - Vesna Grbavac - 5th - 4.31
Hitting Percentage - Chris Curtin - 10th - .252
Assists - Liz Egasti - 5th - 12.45
Aces - Kelly Kaylor - 5th - 0.35
Blocks - Mehgan Devine - 4th - 1.26
In the league?s team statistics, Marquette tops all C-USA squads with a 1.70 service aces average.
Season Superlatives
Team
Kills - 102 vs. Cincinnati - Nov. 5#
Hitting Attempts - 259 vs. Cincinnati - Nov. 5*
Hitting % - .385 (47-10-96) vs. Memphis - Sept. 24
Assists - 94 vs. Cincinnati - Nov. 5#
Aces - 13 vs. UAB - Sept. 26
Digs - 100 vs. Providence - Sept. 10
Block Solos - 5 vs. Stephen F. Austin - Sept. 4
Block Assists - 28 vs. DePaul - Sept. 28
Individual
Kills - 30 - Vesna Grbavac vs. Louisville - Nov. 7*
Hitting Attempts - 65 - Vesna Grbavac vs. Louisville - Nov. 7, 65 - Vesna Grbavac vs. Cincinnati - Oct. 3
Hitting % - .560 (17-3-25) - Chris Curtin vs. Tulane - Oct. 31
Assists - 88 - Liz Egasti vs. Cincinnati - Nov. 5*
Aces - 6 - Vesna Grbavac vs. UNC Charlotte - Oct. 8
Digs - 30 - Annie Richey vs. Tulane - Oct. 31
Block Solos - 4 - Chris Curtin vs. UW-Milwaukee - Sept. 18
Block Assists - 8 - Mehgan Devine vs. DePaul - Sept. 28
*school record, #ties school record
Double-Figure Kill Matches Marquette - 68 (Vesna Grbavac - 22, Chris Curtin - 18, Kelly Kaylor - 13, Katherine Lindros - 5, Mehgan Devine, Danielle Hagen - 4, Amy Levin - 2). Opponents - 59.
Twenty-Kill Matches Marquette - 15 (Vesna Grbavac - 11, Chris Curtin - 4). Opponents - 12.
Thirty-Kill Matches Marquette - 1 (Vesna Grbavac - 1). Opponents - 1.
Double-Figure Dig Matches Marquette - 63 (Vesna Grbavac - 17, Kelly Kaylor - 11, Liz Egasti - 9, Chris Curtin - 7, Danielle Hagen - 6, Annie Richey - 5, Katherine Lindros - 4, Katie Watters - 2, Maura Donnellan - 1). Opponents - 70.
Twenty-Dig Matches Marquette - 3 (Vesna Grbavac, Kelly Kaylor, Annie Richey - 1). Opponents - 6.
Thirty-Dig Matches Marquette - 1 (Annie Richey - 1). Opponents - 1.
Double-Double Matches (Kills-Digs) Marquette - 38 (Vesna Grbavac - 16, Kelly Kaylor - 8, Chris Curtin - 6, Katherine Lindros - 5, Danielle Hagen - 3). Opponents - 32.
Twenty-Twenty Matches (Kills-Digs) Marquette - 1 (Vesna Grbavac - 1). Opponents - 0.
Double-Double Matches (Assists-Digs) Marquette - 9 (Liz Egasti - 9). Opponents - 9.
Triple-Double Matches (Kills-Assists-Digs) Marquette - 0. Opponents - 2.
1999 Honors
Chris Curtin - Mortar Board Purdue Premier All-Tournament Team (Sept. 3-4), Conference USA Player of the Week (Nov. 8)
Mehgan Devine - Marquette Challenge All-Tournament Team (Sept. 10-11)
Vesna Grbavac - Marquette Challenge MVP (Sept. 10-11), Marquette Challenge All-Tournament Team (Sept. 10-11), Wisconsin Challenge All-Tournament Team (Sept. 17-18), Conference USA Player of the Week (Sept. 27)
