Marquette Drops Tough 3-2 Contest at UConn

Nov. 3, 2007

STORRS, Conn. - The Marquette volleyball team fell in its third consecutive five-game match at Connecticut on Saturday. The Golden Eagles (8-13, 5-6) dropped a tight 3-2 (17-30, 29-31, 41-39, 30-20, 13-15), match to the Huskies.

Senior Kim Todd led five Golden Eagles in double-figure kills, smashing 23 kills on a .383 clip and collecting a career-high 22 digs. She was two blocks shy of a triple double, stopping eight balls. Junior Ashlee Fisher posted 17 kills, while senior Jenn Brown hit 12 kills on a .360 clip. Brown also had eight blocks. Freshman Rabbecka Gonyo connected on 11 kills, hitting .360, while stopping eight blocks. Senior Tiffany Helmbrecht tallied 10 kills.

"The third game was a tremendous team effort by both teams to keep fighting through," head coach Pati Rolf said. "Our kids kept fighting through and kept balls in play. Playing in the BIG EAST requires a total team effort and work. We just need to generate some more great moments."

Senior Katie Weidner dished out 63 assists, while junior Terri Angst collected 13 digs.

The first game saw the Huskies jump out to a 3-0 advantage. Mu got on the board following a kill from Todd, but trailed 10-5 after a UConn kill. MU used its first timeout, trailing 12-6. Following the break Brown and Todd hit back-to-back kills to bring the Golden Eagles within four points, but UConn scored four unanswered to increase its lead to 18-11. The Huskies ran on a 12-6 scoring run to end the first game, 30-17.

The second frame saw the Huskies open with a 3-1 advantage, but Marquette scored three unanswered to tie the score at four apiece. The teams traded point-for-point until MU opened a 10-8 lead following miscues from the Huskies. Helmbrecht smashed a kill to give MU a 19-13 lead and force UConn into a timeout. The Huskies used a 7-1 run following the break to tie the score 20-20. From then, the two teams battled for points as MU used its final timeout tied with the Huskies at 24 each. A kill by Gonyo set the Golden Eagles up to serve for game point, but an MU miscue would force another try. The Huskies regrouped to pull out a 31-29 game two victory.

The third stanza proved to be a wild one as MU saw itself behind 4-2 early. The Golden Eagles pushed back to tie the game at 10 apiece, but UConn went on a 5-1 run to increase its lead to 15-11. Helmbrecht smashed a kill to tie the game at 23, and Marquette called timeout when the Huskies came back to tie the score at 25. From then, the teams went back-and-forth scoring points. MU served for game point, following a tip kill from Weidner, but UConn pulled ahead 30-29. Kills from Brown and Todd gave MU another game point try at 31-30, but would need another try as UConn connected on a kill. Serving yet again for game point at 35-34 would require another shot, but Fisher smashed a kill for another serve for the game. UConn stopped MU and served for game point with a 38-37 advantage, but served an error, keeping MU alive. Two attack errors from the Huskies would finally give Marquette that hard-fought, 41-39, game three victory.

Not phased by the previous long game, MU stormed out to a 6-1 opening in the fourth stanza, on serving from Hailey Viola. The Golden Eagles held on to a 10-5 advantage and increased the lead to 20-9, following a kill from Fisher. Weidner served four consecutive points to increase MU's lead to 25-13. The Huskies pushed back, but could not take a lead as the fourth game ended with a 30-19 MU victory.

The fifth and deciding frame opened with the Huskies taking a 3-1 lead, but MU was able to tie the score at five each. UConn reached eight points first, and the teams switched sides. MU ran off three unanswered to tie the score at eight on a kill from Helmbrecht. A UConn error tied the game at 10-10, but the Huskies then earned a 12-10 advantage. MU tied at 13 on a kill from Todd and then called timeout. The Golden Eagles would not score out of the break and dropped the final game 15-13.

The Golden Eagles conclude their road trip at St. John's on Sunday, Nov. 4. The match will begin at 2 p.m. CT and will be video streamed live on RedStormSports.com.