Marquette University Athletics
Volleyball to Close Out Home Season
11/2/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Golden Eagles finish home slate with Tulane, Southern Miss
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Marquette finishes its slate of 16 home games with two matches at the Al McGuire Center, meeting Tulane at 7 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 5 and Southern Miss on Saturday, Nov. 6 at 7 p.m. Playing its first season in the Al McGuire Center, Marquette has had success in its new home, owning an 8-4 mark in its new building. Prior to the Southern Miss match, the Marquette volleyball team will be holding its second clinic of the season, an instructional program targeted to kids from kindergarten through eighth grad. Also as part of the Southern Miss match, the three seniors ? Erin Freer, Erica Heisser and Sarah Vernon ? will be honored.
Scouting Tulane
Tulane started the season as a threat to challenge for a top four spot in Conference USA. After losing its last three matches, the Green Wave will have some work to do if it is going to accomplish that feat. The three-match losing streak comes after a four-match win streak which put Tulane in the thick of C-USA competition. Now, the Green Wave are 4-5 in league play with four matches left. While Tulane has had struggles as of late, it still relies on the play of preseason C-USA selection Deva Fowler. The senior outside hitter smashes 3.61 kills per game. Her totals have dwindled a little over the last few matches, having 11 kills against Cincinnati and eight against Louisville in the Green Wave?s most recent two matches.
Scouting Southern Miss
Southern Miss is still waiting on its first Conference USA victory this season. Southern Miss is tied with UAB at the bottom of the Conference USA standings, owning a 0-9 league record heading into this weekend?s action. Southern Miss meets DePaul on Friday, Nov. 5 before visiting Marquette. Southern Miss has a statistical disadvantage at the net. It has nearly three fewer kills per game than its opponents (15.31 to 12.45). The team struggles compared to its opponents in floor defense, owning a dig-and-a-half per game disadvantage (16.47 to 14.99). Jazzmien Stephens leads Southern Miss with 2.52 kills per game. Amanda Blunck leads in dogs with 3.66 per game.
Vernon Has Second Career Triple Double
Senior setter Sarah Vernon had her second career triple double in a 3-2 win over Saint Louis on Oct. 30. Vernon had 70 assists, 13 kills and 16 digs in the win. She had her first career triple double last season in a 3-2 win over Wis.-Milwaukee, recording 11 kills, 59 assists and 12 digs. The 70 assists against Saint Louis was also Vernon?s career best.
Golden Eagles Go the Distance
For the first time in 2004, Marquette played a five game match. It took 21 matches before the Golden Eagles went the distance. Marquette had lost just 19 games prior to its 3-2 loss to Memphis on Oct. 29. The following night, Marquette played a five-gamer, a 3-2 win over Saint Louis.
Freer Sets Career Digs Mark
Senior Libero Erin Freer has become Marquette?s all-time record holder in digs. She surpassed Keelyn Krill with her eighth dig against Houston making her the all-time leader at Marquette in that category.
Brown Sets Match Record in Blocks
Freshman middle blocker Jenn Brown had a dominating performance in the win over Houston. Brown recorded 12 assisted blocks, breaking the single-match school record held by three others. Brown totalled 14 blocks on the night, leading Marquette to a season best 21.0 blocks.
Marquette Ranked in NCAA Statistics
In kills per game, Marquette?s 16.27 total is the 30th best total in the nation. Likewise, its 14.86 assists per game mark is the 27th best total in the NCAAs, based on the Oct. 17th release of the NCAA statistics.
Rolf Wins 350th Career Match
Picking up a victory against UAB, head coach Pati Rolf claimed her 350th career win. She also has upper her record at Marquette to 43-38, putting her five games over .500.
Todd Picks Up Player-of-the-Week Honors, Sets Career Best
Marquette freshman outside hitter Kimberley Todd was named Conference USA Player-of-the-Week on Monday, Oct. 18. Todd is the first freshman to earn C-USA Player of the Week honors this season as she helped the Golden Eagles to a weekend sweep of USF and UAB.
Todd?s nomination is the third for the Marquette volleyball team this season. Senior setter Sarah Vernon has been named C-USA Setter-of-the-Week twice this season, including last week.
Todd set a collegiate best with 24 kills in a 3-1 win over USF, bettering her previous collegiate high by 10 kills. She followed that performance 11 kills against UAB.
Marquette Tough in Attack Percentage Defense
Marquette opponents are hitting 14.9 percent for the season, the second best total in Conference USA. The Golden Eagles are just behind Louisville, who is having its opponents hit 14.0 percent. This season, Marquette has held 10 opponents under a 15.0 hitting percentage for a match. Marquette is also third in the league in assists, kills and digs.
Vernon Named Setter-of-the-Week For Second Time
Senior setter Sarah Vernon was named Conference USA Volleyball Setter-of-the-Week on October 11. This was Vernon's second player-of-the-week award. She was also named setter-of-the-week on September 13.
For the week, Vernon had 44 assists on 52 Marquette kills against Wis.-Green Bay and had 40 assists on 62 Marquette kills in a win over DePaul. Shad had 16 combined kills against the two teams. Against DePaul, she was two digs shy of a double-double, having 11 kills with 40 assists. She hit 36.4 percent against UWGB and a team-best 52.9 against DePaul. Vernon is currently fifth in the league in assists per game with 12.00.
She was potent during a three-match tournament in Kalamazoo, Mich., in September leading Marquette to a 2-1. She had 138 assists, averaging 12.55 per game during the tournament, and had 27 kills in the three matches. Vernon had her third and fourth double-doubles of the season.
Mueller Moves Up
Sophomore Jamie Mueller was in the starting lineup against DePaul. That is nothing new. The fact that she played outside hitter was. It was her first time at the net and she responded with 10 kills and a season high 19 digs. In her seven matches as outside hitter, she has had no fewer than eight kills.
If You Build it, They Will Come
Marquette set a program attendance record in its match against no. 21 Louisville on Oct. 2. The Golden Eagles had 733 in attendance. That was 22 fans more than watch Marquette and Cincinnati two years ago at the Marquette Gym. In the Cincinnati match on Oct. 1, the third largest crowd in history was set at 613. Marquette is currently averaging 437 per match.
Heisser Tough at the Net
Senior middle blocker Erica Heisser leads the team in two categories, but she?s especially dominant for Marquette in net defense. She leads the team with 1.21 blocks per game (seventh in C-USA), 0.20 blocks per game ahead of her nearest teammate, Jenn Brown.
Marquette Second in Midwest in RichKern.com Rankings
Marquette is second among teams in the midwest according to the recent rankings from RichKern.com, an RPI-based rating system. Marquette is also the second highest ranked team in Conference USA according to the ranking system, only trailing Louisville. Marquette RKPI rating is 58.
Golden Eagles Become Balanced
From the Md.-Eastern Shore to Louisville matches, Marquette has had three players with 10 or more kills. Against Connecticut and Md.-Eastern Shore, Marquette had four players top the 10-kill mark, including a career best 10 kills from freshman middle blocker Jenn Brown against Md.-Eastern Shore. Currently, Marquette has six players averaging 1.50 kills per game or more.
Coughlin, Vernon Reach 1,000 Marks
Junior outside hitter Theresa Coughlin started the season needing 133 kills to have 1,000 in her career, becoming the seventh Marquette player to reach that mark. Senior setter Sarah Vernon needed 361 assists at season?s beginning to become the eighth player in school history to pass the 1,000 assist mark. Both reached the mark on the same play in game three, up 15-12, against Wis.-Milwaukee on Sept. 21.
Todd, Freer Named All-Tournament
Freshman Kimberley Todd and senior Libero Erin Freer were each named to the all-tournament team at the Marquette-hosted Jesuit Joust. Todd set career bests with 14 kills against Boston College and Loyola (Ill.). She had 38 for the tournament, a 4.22 per game average. It was her second all-tournament team of the season. Freer averaged 4.11 digs per game to be named to the team.
Heisser Sets Career Mark for Kills
Senior middle blocker Erica Heisser set a collegiate best mark with 20 kills in a 3-1 loss to Rutgers. She was accurate during the contest, missing just four of her 37 attacks for a 43.2 attack percentage.
Record Watch
Senior Libero Erin Freer started the year in fourth on the all-time digs list. She has passed Keelyn Krill for the all-time school record. Junior outside hitter Theresa Coughlin has moved up to third on Marquette?s all-time kill mark. She began the season needing 414 kills to pass Chris Curtin for the school record. Currently, Coughlin has 294 kills. Senior setter Sarah Vernon has moved up from ninth to seventh on the all-time assists list. She is 301 assists from passing Jenny Binfield for sixth place.
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