Marquette University Athletics
Weekly Marquette Volleyball Release
11/8/1999 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 8, 1999
MILWAUKEE - Golden Eagles Conclude Conference USA Regular Season With Matches at Saint Louis (11/12) and UNC Charlotte (11/14) The Marquette volleyball team, 15-10 overall and 8-6 against Conference USA competition, wraps up regular-season C-USA play this weekend on the road.
The Golden Eagles will face Saint Louis on Friday, Nov. 12, at 7 p.m. Marquette then heads to Charlotte for a Sunday meeting with the 49ers that gets underway at 1 p.m. CT.
Scouting Marquette The Golden Eagles extended their winning streak to four with victories over American Division leaders Cincinnati and Louisville last weekend. Marquette?s eight wins against Conference USA opponents are the most in school history.
The Golden Eagles average 15.46 kills, 14.06 assists, 1.73 aces, 15.76 digs and 2.14 blocks and hit .195. In 14 C-USA matches, Marquette is averaging 15.96 kills, 14.70 assists, 1.76 aces, 15.94 digs and 2.07 blocks, while hitting .189.
Vesna Grbavac, who has recorded 20 or more kills in the last three matches, tops Marquette with a 4.40 kills average. She also has served a team-high 31 aces and chips in 2.82 digs a game.
Chris Curtin, who also has reached the 20-kill mark in the last three contests, tops Marquette with a .264 hitting percentage and chips in 3.53 kills and 0.90 blocks a game. Curtin was named the Nov. 8 Conference USA Player of the Week after averaging 4.90 kills, 2.60 digs and 0.70 blocks and hitting .337 in the wins over Cincinnati and Louisville.
Liz Egasti averages 12.83 assists and has served 25 aces. Kelly Kaylor records 3.13 digs a game and has 27 aces to her credit. Mehgan Devine tops the Golden Eagles with a 1.18 blocks average.
Head Coach Laura Farina Laura Farina is in her first campaign as a college coach and has a 15-10 record. Her 15 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 Saint Louis The Billikens are 21-7 overall and 8-6 in Conference USA action. SLU has lost its last three matches.
Laura Risley tops the Billikens with a 4.79 kills average, a 1.46 blocks average and a .317 hitting percentage. Colleen Hunter chips in 3.04 kills and 0.88 blocks a game. Cristal Leonard has served a team-best 34 aces. Jessica Moss averages 3.44 digs a game.
Head coach Marilyn Nolen is in her sixth season at SLU and has a 132-73 record. Her career record, which spans 28 seasons, is 751-291-12.
The series between the Golden Eagles and Billikens is knotted at 13 wins apiece. In the season?s first meeting between the two teams, Saint Louis posted a 14-16, 15-4, 15-12, 15-11 win over Marquette on Oct. 9 in Milwaukee. Risley had 20 kills, two block solos and eight block assists. Moss chipped in 17 kills and 20 digs. Vesna Grbavac led all players with 22 kills and a team-high 16 digs.
Scouting UNC Charlotte The 49ers are 13-14 overall and 7-7 in league action. UNCC hosts DePaul on Friday, Nov. 12, before playing Marquette. The 49ers bring a two-match winning streak into this week?s action, having defeated Appalachian State (3-1) and Saint Louis (3-2) last week.
The 49ers averages 14.45 kills, 1.38 aces, 17.55 digs and 2.18 blocks and hit .179.
Emily Bowers leads UNCC with a 3.27 kills average and a .257 hitting percentage. Ozlem Ayture averages 10.99 assists and 0.39 aces, both team highs. Marsha Waufle?s 3.53 digs average is best on the squad, while Ann MacMillan averages a team-leading 0.89 blocks.
Patty Dennison is in her first season at UNCC and has a 13-14 record. Her career mark is the same.
Marquette leads the series with the 49ers by a 5-4 margin and will be looking to avenge a 16-14, 15-8, 7-15, 11-15, 11-15 loss to UNCC on Oct. 8 in Milwaukee. Ozlem Ayture had a triple-double with 12 kills, 47 assists and 10 digs for UNCC. Emily Bowers added 17 kills and 19 digs, both team highs. Vesna Grbavac paced Marquette with a match-high 23 kills and also had a team-best 18 digs.
Last Week in Review The Golden Eagles played their final two home matches of the 1999 campaign last weekend and downed the two teams atop the American Division of Conference USA. Here are the recaps of those contests:
MARQUETTE 3, Cincinnati 2 - The Golden Eagles defeated Conference USA leading Cincinnati 15-11, 16-18, 15-4, 11-15, 15-12 on Nov. 5. The win snapped Marquette's 11-match losing streak to the Bearcats.
Marquette established a school records with 259 hitting attempts. The Golden Eagles also tied the single match records with 102 kills and 94 assists. Marquette hit .238 for the match. The Bearcats had 80 kills and hit .230.
Junior setter Liz Egasti established a Marquette match record with 88 assists, six better than the previous mark. Senior Chris Curtin recorded a team-high 28 kills, which was one kill shy of the school record in that category. Curtin also hit .333. Vesna Grbavac chipped in 22 kills and 19 digs. Mehgan Devine hit .424 (18-4-33) and had two block solos and four block assists. Kelly Kaylor had a strong all-around performance with 17 kills, four aces and 17 digs.
Cincinnati was led by Bonita Wise, who had a match-high 30 kills. Jill Waltemeyer added 16 kills. Annie Gant had 68 assists and 22 digs. Trish Ladusaw contributed 21 digs.
MARQUETTE 3, Louisville 2 - Marquette registered a 15-11, 15-7, 12-15, 3-15, 15-10 upset of Louisville, who was alone atop the American Division of Conference USA entering play on Nov. 7. It was Marquette's first-ever win over the Cardinals in nine tries. Marquette's win snapped UL's 11-match winning streak, which was the longest in Conference USA.
Marquette recorded 84 kills to 76 by the Cardinals. The Golden Eagles also served 10 aces, compared to five by Louisville.
Sophomore Vesna Grbavac set a Marquette match record with 30 kills. The previous record was set by Christine Norgle on Nov. 15, 1986, against Valparaiso. Grbavac also hit .323 for the match and had four service aces. Chris Curtin chipped in 21 kills and hit .340. Liz Egasti had 72 assists and 13 digs, most among the Golden Eagles.
Kelly McClain topped Louisville with 22 kills. Emily Roberson had a match-best 20 digs. Jing Ding registered a triple-double with 12 kills, 54 assists and 11 digs.
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.
Conference USA Player of the Week Honors Go To Curtin Senior Chris Curtin was named the Nov. 8 Conference USA Player of the Week after averaging 4.90 kills, 2.60 digs and 0.70 blocks and hitting .337 in the wins over Cincinnati and Louisville. She had 28 kills, one shy of the school record at that time and 17 digs, while hitting .333 against Cincinnati. In the Nov. 7 win over Louisville, she had 21 kills and nine digs and hit .340.
It marks the second time this season a Golden Eagle has been named the C-USA Player of the Week. Vesna Grbavac earned the same honor on Sept. 27.
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 1,223 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 25 matches this season, she has 4,059 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 1,206 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 - 1,174
Attempts
2. Chris Curtin - 2,924 (112 shy of first)
Assists
1. Liz Egasti - 4,059
Service Aces
8. Liz Egasti - 92 (15 shy of seventh)
Block Solos
5. Chris Curtin - 63 (6 shy of fourth)
Block Assists
2. Chris Curtin - 293 (71 shy of first)
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
3. Vesna Grbavac - 414 (15 shy of second)
Hitting Attempts
3. Vesna Grbavac - 1,061 (53 shy of second)
Assists
4. Liz Egasti - 1,206 (117 shy of second)
Grbavac is just the second player to reach the 400-kill mark in a single season. Kristin Patterson holds the top two single-season marks with 432 in 1985 and 429 in 1984.
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 - 62 (Vesna Grbavac - 20, Chris Curtin - 16, Kelly Kaylor - 12, Katherine Lindros - 5, Danielle Hagen - 4, Mehgan Devine - 3, Amy Levin - 2). Opponents - 56.
Twenty-Kill Matches Marquette - 14 (Vesna Grbavac - 10, Chris Curtin - 4). Opponents - 10.
Thirty-Kill Matches Marquette - 1 (Vesna Grbavac - 1). Opponents - 1.
Double-Figure Dig Matches Marquette - 59 (Vesna Grbavac - 15, Kelly Kaylor - 10, Liz Egasti - 8, Chris Curtin - 7, Danielle Hagen - 6, Annie Richey - 5, Katherine Lindros - 4, Katie Watters - 2, Maura Donnellan - 1). Opponents - 63.
Twenty-Dig Matches Marquette - 2 (Vesna Grbavac, Annie Richey - 1). Opponents - 6.
Thirty-Dig Matches Marquette - 1 (Annie Richey - 1). Opponents - 1.
Double-Double Matches (Kills-Digs) Marquette - 35 (Vesna Grbavac - 14, Kelly Kaylor - 7, Chris Curtin - 6, Katherine Lindros - 5, Danielle Hagen - 3). Opponents - 30.
Twenty-Twenty Matches (Kills-Digs) Marquette - 1 (Vesna Grbavac - 1). Opponents - 0.
Double-Double Matches (Assists-Digs) Marquette - 8 (Liz Egasti - 8). 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)
