Marquette University Athletics
Volleyball Defeats North Dakota State, 3-0
9/3/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
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Recap | Box Score
Western Kentucky/Drake box score
MILWAUKEE ? Marquette wasted little time in picking up its first victory of the season, a 3-0 triumph over North Dakota State. Marquette wins its season opening match for the second time in three seasons. North Dakota State falls to 0-2 with the loss.
Marquette cruised to a game one victory behind the offense of junior outside hitter Theresa Coughlin. She had four kills of her match high 11 in the opening game. North Dakota State kept the game close early, but Marquette went on a 9-2 run midway through the game to put it out of reach, eventually winning 30-16.
Senior Libero Erin Freer was the star of game two. In that game, she brought her game totals for digs to six, making her the third player in school history to reach that mark. She finished the contest with eight digs, giving her 1,002 for her career. Marquette was faced with its toughest test of the night by North Dakota State, winning the second game, 30-23. ?It means a lot to Erin Freer,? head coach Pati Rolf said. ?She?s worked her way up through a lot of hard times. It shows the team how far we?ve come, improving so much to allow an opportunity for a player like this to reach this pinnacle.?
The Golden Eagles faced little challenge early in the third game to put the match out of reach. Marquette started off the game on another 10-2 run, fuelled by a pair of kills by senior outside hitter Erica Heisser. Marquette won the decisive game, 30-18.
Senior setter Sarah Vernon had a solid match, recording Marquette?s first double-double of the season with 27 assists and 15 digs. Sheila Parrish led the way for North Dakota State with seven kills. ?I talked in the locker room in between games two and three about focusing,? Rolf said. ?We had to serve tough and good things will come. We did that and things started to fall our way in game three.?
In the first match of the Marquette Challenge, Western Kentucky defeated Drake, 3-1 (30-16, 30-24, 28-30, 31-29). Amanda Schiff had 18 kills for the Hilltoppers.
The tournament?s action continues tomorrow with four matches, starting at 10:30 a.m. Marquette takes on Drake at 12:30 p.m. and meets Western Kentucky at 7 p.m. All matches are at the Al McGuire Center.
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