Marquette Volleyball Drops Two Matches
9/3/2000 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Milwaukee - The 2000 Marquette volleyball team dropped a pair of tough matches on Saturday and closed out the Marquette Challenge with a record of 0-3.
In its first match on Saturday, the Golden Eagles dropped five-game decision to Eastern Illinois (15-11, 15-10, 10-12, 9-15, 12-15) before coming out on the short end of a four-game verdict to Northern Illinois Saturday evening (13-15, 15-10, 8-15, 8-15).
Against the Panthers of EIU, Marquette appeared to have the match under control, winning the first two games and enjoying a 9-2 lead in game three. However, EIU clawed back into the match and won a hotly contested game five in snatching the win away from Marquette. MU freshman Ann Lopata (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) paced the team in kills with 23 while hitting a team-high 28 percent (23-9--50). Junior co-captain Tarah Beyer (Rockford, Ill.) turned in a fine effort as well, dishing out four service aces and recording nine digs.
The Huskies of NIU and Marquette played an intense match that lasted close to two hours and 30 minutes. After dropping the first game, the Golden Eagles bounced back in fine fashion in game two, hitting 40 percent (17-1--40) in knotting the match at one game apiece. Lopata (7-0--14), along with classmate Megan Markowski (Glen Ellyn, Ill.) accounted four 11 kills while freshman setter Gemma Greer (Winfield, Ill.), making her first career start, chalked up 15 assists. After that game, NIU was able to regroup and hit a combined 35.3 percent in the last two games compared to Marquette's 18.7 percent. Lopata finished the match with a team-high 16 kills while Markowski tallied 15. Sophomore Danielle Hagen (Milwaukee) tied for the match high in digs with 19.
Junior middle blocker Mehgan Devine (Harris, Minn.) was MU's lone representative on the all-tournament team. The 6-foot-3 Devine totaled 40 kills in the three matches, including a career-high 19 against McNeese State on Friday evening, 21 digs and 16 blocks.
Next up for Marquette is a visit to the Tiger Invitational next Friday and Saturday (Sept. 8 and 9) in Columbia, Missouri. The Golden Eagles will meet Morgan State in its first-round match-up before tangling with Morgan State, TCU and host Missouri.
