Marquette University
Valparaiso
Volleyball Ends Season with a Sweep of Valparaiso
2/21/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Feb. 21, 2006
MILWAUKEE - The Marquette volleyball team wrapped up MU's Battle for the Bird and the 2005 season with a 3-0 sweep (30-25, 30-24, 30-27) of three-time Mid-Continent Conference Champion Valparaiso at the Al McGuire Center. Junior outside hitter Jamie Mueller was the lone Golden Eagle selected to the all-tournament helping Marquette to cap 2005 with a 17-13 overall record.
Mueller and sophomore outside hitter/middle blocker Kim Todd led Marquette with 15 kills a piece, while Mueller added 13 digs and three blocks to earn her 14th double double of the season. Senior libero Caitie O'Brien held down the Golden Eagles backline with 16 digs helping her to surpass the1,000 digs mark for her career.
The Golden Eagles dominated the first game, 30-25, while out hitting the Crusaders 31.8 percent compared to Valpo's 23.3 percent behind seven kills from Todd and five kills from Mueller. Marquette jumped out to an early 7-2 lead with the help form four kills from Todd, leaving the Crusaders unable to overcome the deficit. Marquette held that five point advantage for much of the first game cruising to victory.
After a sluggish start to the second game, the Golden Eagles overcame an early three-point deficit and mounted an 11-4 run to lead 11-7 thanks to a strong Marquette attack with kills from senior outside hitter Theresa Coughlin, sophomore middle blocker Jenn Brown, Mueller and Todd. The Golden Eagles led for the rest of the game, claiming the second victory, 30-24. Todd and Mueller led Marquette with five kills apiece while Marquette hit .260, collectively in the second stanza.
Marquette picked up right where they left off capturing game three and the match, 30-27. After being down by two points at the beginning, the Golden Eagles took six of eight points to lead 6-4. Marquette held the two-point advantage for most of the game until the Crusaders knotted the game at 17 each and then went on a 5-2 run taking the 21-19 lead. Marquette rallied and took a one-point advantage, 24-23, with a kill from sophomore middle blocker Tiffany Helmbrecht. After that point, the Golden Eagle never looked back winning four-straight points en route to the victory.
Along with Mueller, Valparaiso's Lauren Moulton and Katie Bova, along with Western Michigan's Shaylen and Shannon Jackson were all-tournament selections while fellow Bronco Jenifer Sulewski was named the tournament MVP. Western Michigan was the only team to go undefeated on the weekend as it downed Fairfield, 3-0 in the earlier match.
