Marquette University Athletics
Marquette Trio Earn C-USA Volleyball Honors
11/15/2001 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Nov. 15, 2001
Milwaukee -- Marquette University seniors Mehgan Devine (Harris, Minn.) and Vesna Grbavac (Palatine, Ill.), along with freshman Jennifer Amobi (Silver Springs, Mary.), were recognized by the league's coaches for their fine play this season and earned Conference USA volleyball honors.
Devine was tabbed as a Conference USA First-Team selection while Grbavac was named to the second team. Amobi landed a berth on the league's All-Freshman Team.
The 6-foot-3 Devine, a second-team honoree last year, has been on the Golden Eagles' most versatile, consistent and durable performers this season. Entering this weekend's C-USA Tournament, she has played in all 104 MU games, through 28 matches, and paces the squad in attack percentage in both overall (.291) and league (.277) contests. The team leader in blocks with 89, she stands second in service aces with 35 and has hit 30 percent or better in 13 matches. She has posted double-figure attacks in 20 matches and has registered 10 outings of double-figure digs. She turned in a pair of 20-kill performances (tying her career high) in matches against Tulane (Oct. 19) and Charlotte (Nov. 2) and hit a season-high 46.9 percent (16-1--32) in a five-game win over No. 22 Louisville (Oct. 12). Career-wise, she is fourth all-time at Marquette in kills (1,088), first in block solos (101), third in block assists (303) and eighth in service aces (109).
Grbavac, who missed all of the 2000 campaign with a shoulder injury, returned to the lineup to lead the team and rank seventh among C-USA players in attacks with 430 (4.17 kpg) with her kill total placing her fourth on the school's seasonal chart. The team leader in digs with 329 (3.19 dpg), she stands third on the squad in service aces with 33 and has hit 30 percent or better in 12 matches. She has 24 matches of double-figure kills to her credit along with 19 performances of 10 or more digs. She chalked up 23 kills, tying her season high, posted a team-best 32.0 attack percentage (23-7--50), and compiled 15 digs vs. Southern Miss (Oct. 20). Career-wise, she is third all-time at Marquette in kills (1,119) and fifth in attack attempts (2,891).
Seeing action in 98 of the team's 104 games, Amobi emerged as a dangerous offensive weapon for Marquette. Heading into this weekend's action, she is third on the team in attacks with 310 (3.16 kpg) and closed out the regular season with double-figure kills in 12 of the last 13 Golden Eagle matches. The owner of 20 matches of double-figure attacks, she hit a blistering 59.4 percent (19-0--32) against TCU on Nov. 9. Against No. 22 Louisville, she slammed home a season-high 23 kills and hit an outstanding 41.3 percent (23-4--46) in a five-game win. She was named C-USA Player of the Week (Oct. 29) after posting 40 kills and a 38.6 attack percentage in helping MU to wins over Loyola, Memphis and Saint Louis.
Marquette opens the C-USA Tournament on Thursday, Nov. 15, with a match against Southern Miss starting at 3:00 p.m. The winner of that match will advance to the quarterfinals to play South Florida on Friday (Nov. 16) at 3:00 p.m.
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Marquette Opens C-USA Tournament vs. Southern Miss
Thu., Nov. 15 Marquette vs. Southern Miss 3:00 p.m. Houston, Tex.
MATCH INFO - The Marquette University volleyball team will battle Southern Miss in an opening-round game of the Conference USA Tournament on Thursday (Nov. 15) starting at 3:00 p.m. Marquette enters this year's tourney as the No. 6 seed while USM is the No. 11 seed. The winner of the match will advance to the quarterfinal round to play No. 3 seed South Florida on Friday starting at 3:00 p.m. The semifinals will be played on Saturday (Nov. 17) at 1:00 and 3:00 p.m., with the championship contest slated for 2:00 p.m. on Sunday. Other opening-round matches include No. 10 Charlotte vs. No.7 Saint Louis (1:00 p.m.), No. 9 Tulane vs. No. 8 Memphis, and No. 12 East Carolina vs. No. 5 DePaul (8:00 p.m.)
THE COACHES - Marquette is directed by third-year head coach Laura Farina (Illinois, '92) who owns a school and career record of 44-47. She is 3-0 against Southern Miss.
Southern Miss is coached by Santiago Restrepo who is in his first year at the helm of the program. In four years as a head coach, which includes a three-year stint at East Stroudsburg (1995-97), Restrepo has a career mark of 84-50.
THE RECORDS -- Marquette enters the C-USA Tournament with an overall record of 17-11 and finished the league portion of the schedule with a 9-7 won-lost slate. In the final weekend of conference action, the Golden Eagles split a pair of matches, winning in three games at TCU while losing in three games to Houston.
Southern Miss meets Marquette with an overall record of 9-18 including a 4-12 effort in league games.
SERIES NOTES - Each team has claimed four wins in the series. Marquette was won the last three meetings between the schools including a four-game decision earlier this year in Hattiesburg (Oct. 20).
ON THE HORIZON -- Following its stint at the C-USA Tournament, Marquette closes out the regular season at Tennessee on Friday (Nov.23).
MARQUETTE TEAM AND PLAYER NOTES -- Marquette heads into this weekend's play with a 22.5 hitting percentage compared to last year's mark of 16.5 percent ... Junior Danielle Hagen (Milwaukee) has moved into 10th place on the school's career list for block assists with 165 ... Sophomore Gemma Greer has doled out 1,220 assists this season, good for fourth on the school's yearly ladder ... Heading into Thursday's match against Southern Miss, senior Vesna Grbavac has 430 kills, good for fourth place on the Golden Eagles' seasonal chart ... She needs just eight kills to move into the No. 2 spot on that list ... Career-wise, Grbavac has 1,119 kills and ranks third on the school's all-time chart ... Grbavac is 22 attacks away from moving into the No. 2 position ... Senior Mehgan Devine leads the squad in attack percentage in both overall (.291) and league (.277) contests and her overall hitting percentage places her fifth on the school's seasonal chart ... Freshman Jennifer Amobi has double-figure kills in 12 of her last 13 matches and holds down the No. 3 spot on the team in kills with 310 (3.16 kpg) ... In last Friday's match against TCU, she hit a blistering 59.4 percent (19-0--32) in helping MU to a three-game triumph.
