Volleyball secures BIG EAST title with sweep of Villanova

Box Score (PDF)

MILWAUKEE - The Marquette University women's volleyball team defeated Villanova on Senior Night to claim at least a share of its first BIG EAST Conference title since 2013.

The Golden Eagles took down the Wildcats in straight sets, 25-13, 25-19, 25-21, and can secure the league crown outright if Creighton falls to St. John's on Sunday afternoon.

Prior to the match, Marquette (25-4, 16-2 BIG EAST) recognized seniors Hope Werch, Taylor Wolf, Savannah Rennie, Kaitlyn Lines, Claire Mosher, Ellie Koontz and Katie Schoessow for their contributions to the volleyball program.

Freshman Jenna Reitsma and Wolf led the Golden Eagles with 11 kills apiece. Reitsma added a season-high five service aces, and Wolf tallied a game-high 14 assists. Rennie chipped in nine kills, and Koontz had five.

Marquette hit .233 (42-15-116) on the night to VU's .126 (27-14-103). The Golden Eagles were exceptional in the first set, hitting a match-high .385 (13-3-26).

Four players finished with five kills for the Villanova (15-15, 7-11 BIG EAST), and Clare Delaplane contributed three. Averi Salvador also notched a game-high 15 digs.

The Golden Eagles were dominant in the first set, starting things off on a 9-2 run that featured three kills from Wolf and a pair of service aces from Carly Skrabak. Marquette never trailed in the set, and Reitsma paced MU with four kills and four aces.

Rennie recorded five kills in the second set to give the Golden Eagles the 2-0 advantage before Wolf posted four kills in the third to secure Marquette's third consecutive sweep.

MU leads the all-time series with the Wildcats, 21-4. The Golden Eagles now maintain an eight-match winning streak over Villanova and a 10-2 record against VU at the Al McGuire Center.

MU's only previous BIG EAST regular season and tournament crowns came in 2013, when it won the regular season by three matches and topped Creighton in the conference tournament championship in Omaha.

NEXT UP: The Golden Eagles will now host Creighton, DePaul and UConn in the 2021 BIG EAST Women's Volleyball Championship, presented by JEEP, on Nov. 26-27 at the Al McGuire Center. Seeding will be determined following Sunday's match between CU and St. John's.

Keep up with the Marquette University women's volleyball program through social media by following on Twitter (@MarquetteVB) and Instagram (@MarquetteVB) and 'liking' on Facebook (/MarquetteVolleyball)