No. 21 Marquette Hosts No. 6 Wisconsin in Marquette Invitational

MILWAUKEE – It's a rivalry showdown this weekend as the No. 21 Marquette University volleyball team plays host to the Marquette Invitational and begins play against No. 6 Wisconsin on Friday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. Central time.

The Golden Eagles will play two matches on Saturday, hosting Tulsa at 1 p.m. CT before concluding the weekend against Illinois State a 7 p.m. CT.

WHERE TO WATCH/FOLLOW THE ACTION
WATCH LIVE: All Marquette matches: https://gomarquette.com/watch/?Live=17&type=Live
LIVE STATS: (https://gomarquette.com/sidearmstats/wvball/summary)

PROMOTIONS

Friday vs. Wisconsin – It's a GOLD OUT! All fans are encouraged to wear their gold. The first 500 students in attendance will receive a gold shirt to wear.
Saturday vs. Tulsa- Camper reunion day. All campers that attended a Marquette Volleyball camp this summer will receive a free ticket to this match.
Saturday vs. Illinois State- Big Brother Big Sisters promo code, all who received the code will get tickets for $2

OPPONENTS

WISCONSIN (5-1): Wisconsin dropped its first match of the season last weekend at No. 15 Baylor. The Badgers defeated then-No. 2 Texas in its homeopener. Marquette will be the third ranked opponent Wisconsin faces this season.

This is just the second meeting between Wisconsin and Marquette since the 2008 season, but the 22^nd overall. Last season MU fell to the Badgers, 3-1 in Madison.

TULSA (7-2): Tulsa went 3-0 in its home tournament last weekend. Emily Thorson leads the squad with 3.59 kills per set this season, while Taylor Horsfall is averaging 5.50 digs per set, which is 18^th in the NCAA.

This is just the second meeting between Marquette and Tulsa with the Golden Hurricane earning the victory.

ILLINOIS STATE (7-2): The Redbirds 7-2 start is the program's best start since the 2015 season. Illinois State has five sweeps in nine games this year and is led by Lexi Varga with 2.53 kills per set. Five other Redbirds are averaging 2.0 kills per frame.

Illinois State leads the all-time series, 2-1 with the Redbirds last winning in a 3-2 victory on Dec. 4, 2014 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

WHAT THE TEAM IS SAYING:
On the expected crowd at the Wisconsin match…
"I think it will be exciting for our players, fans and the Marquette community to have a sellout here on Friday night. We're looking forward to it and it should be a good match."

On the weekend tournament…
"Overall for the weekend we are wrapping up non-conference schedule so to be playing well is important and Tulsa and Illinois State also come in at 7-2 as well, so there is a lot on the line over the course of the weekend.
- Ryan Theis (Head Coach)

STORYLINES:

Marquette jumps four spots to No. 21 in this week's AVCA Coaches Poll, which is the highest-ever ranking in program history. The Golden Eagles entered the AVCA Coaches Poll at No. 25 in week three after being the unofficial 26^th team for the first two weeks of the season. MU is ranked for the first time since the 2013 campaign.
Junior Allie Barber has been named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week for the second time this season, while sophomore libero Martha Konovodoff earned a spot on the weekly honor roll. Barber connected on 29 kills in the win over USC, one shy of her career high and finished with a .473 hitting percentage, averaging 4.54 kills per set over three games and hit for a .353 clip. She currently leads the BIG EAST with 4.47 kills per set and is third overall with a .354 hitting percentage.
Konovodoff averaged 4.92 digs per set through the three matches, including 27 against USC and 23 in the four-set match with BYU. Her current 4.81 digs per set average check in at fourth overall in the league.
Marquette defeated then-No. 10 USC in its homeopener last weekend in a five-set thriller. It was just the third victory over a top-10 opponent in the program's history.
Friday marks the fourth ranked opponent that the Golden Eagles have faced this season and the third consecutive top-10 opponent. MU is 1-3 against ranked teams this season.
Marquette leads the BIG EAST and ranks sixth in the NCAA with 13.81 assists per game as junior Lauren Speckman and sophomore Sarah Rose have teamed up for setting duties this season. Speckman is handing out 7.38 assists per set, while Rose tallies 4.59 per contest.
The Golden Eagles also lead the league in kills and rank seventh nationally with 14.66 per contest, paced by 4.47 per frame from Barber, which leads the BIG EAST and ranks 18^th in the NCAA.
Rosenthal boasts a stellar .378 hitting percentage through the nine games of the season, helping propel the Golden Eagles to a .281 average combined, which is tops in the league.
Marquette has had a player record a double-double on seven occasions this season. Speckman has a team-high three, while senior Anna Haak has tallied two. Rose and Hope Werch have each posted one double-double.
Head coach Ryan Theis enters the weekend with a 98-41 record at Marquette, needing just two more victories to reach the 100 milestone.
This is the 43^rd season of Marquette volleyball and the program is 750-692-5 all-time.
The Golden Eagles were picked to win the BIG EAST, earning six first-place votes. This is the first time MU has been selected to win the league.
Allie Barber was tabbed as BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year, while Jenna Rosenthal and Hope Werch were selected to the preseason squad.
Marquette plays a tough non-conference schedule and will face four ranked opponents; No. 8 BYU, No. 9 Wisconsin, No. 10 USC, No. 16 Baylor and two receiving votes; Western Kentucky and LSU. BIG EAST foe Creighton is currently ranked No. 13 and the Golden Eagles will face the Bluejays in the BIG EAST weekend opener on Sept. 23.