Marquette Drops a Five-Set Battle to Butler

Oct. 21, 2017

MILWAUKEE -- Despite a career night from sophomore Allie Barber, the Marquette University women's volleyball team fell in a 3-2 (25-20, 18-25, 30-28, 17-25, 11-15) heartbreaker to Butler on Saturday night at the Al McGuire Center.

Barber's career-best 27 kills led Marquette (15-7, 9-2), while freshman Hope Werch recorded her fifth double-double of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs. Juniors Anna Haak and Jenna Rosenthal each connected on seven kills with four blocks with Haak also collecting a team-best 17 digs.

Sophomore setter Lauren Speckman handed out 52 assists, while recording four kills, as freshman Martha Konovodoff had 16 digs.

Marquette took the first frame, 25-20, but the Bulldogs answered in the second winning 25-18 to even the match.

The third frame became a battle down the stretch as MU needed extra points in its 30-28 victory. Rosenthal connected on a kill in the back corner of the floor to give the Golden Eagles set point, 24-21, but Butler stormed back with a 4-0 run to take a 25-24 lead. MU kept staving off the Bulldogs each time Butler took set point, until MU used two Bulldogs errors to its advantage for the win.

After Butler claimed the fourth set to push the decisive fifth frame, the Bulldogs opened the final set with a 4-0 lead and was the first to reach eight points with MU trailing 8-5 as the teams switched sides of the court. Werch connected on a kill to pull within two points, 8-6, but the Golden Eagles would not get that close again, falling 15-11 in the final frame.

Butler (17-6, 7-4) was led by Bri Lilly with 17 kills, while Whitney Beck tallied 16 as four total Bulldogs recorded double digits kills. Butler also connected for a .304 hitting percentage.

The Golden Eagles now open a four-match road trip beginning at St. John's Friday, Oct. 27 at 4 p.m. CT, followed by a trip to Seton Hall, Saturday, Oct. 28 at 6 p.m. CT.