No. 16 MU falls, 3-1, at No. 1 Texas in NCAA Third Round

Box Score (PDF)

AUSTIN, Texas – The fourth-seeded and No. 16 Marquette University women's volleyball team fell to No. 1 Texas, 25-14, 25-13, 19-25, 25-17, on Thursday afternoon in the third round of the 2022 NCAA Division I Women's Volleyball Championship at Gregory Gym.

The Golden Eagles (29-4) were able to rally for the third set victory behind six kills in the frame from redshirt freshman middle blocker Hattie Bray, who posted 10 kills in the match and hit .375. Outside hitter Jenna Reitsma led MU with team highs of 12 kills and 11 digs.

The top-ranked Longhorns (25-1) hit .343 and were led by 15 kills from national player of the year candidate Logan Eggleston, while Madisen Skinner had 11 kills and five blocks. NCAA hitting percentage leader Asjia O'Neal hit just .278 (9-4-18) but added eight blocks.

UT will face region three-seed Ohio State on Saturday afternoon in the regional final for a spot in the Final Four.

NOTABLE:

In total, MU is 8-11 all-time in NCAA tournament play with six trips to the second round and a pair of trips to the regional semifinals in 2018 and 2022.
With the loss to the Longhorns, MU is 0-6 against top-four regional seeds.
Thursday's match marked the first time that the Longhorns and Golden Eagles have met.
The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 9-4 lead in the third after a pair of service aces from Ella Foti and carried the frame, 25-19.
The 25-19 win over the Longhorns in the fourth was UT's second-worst set loss of the season. UT dropped the first set to Houston, 25-17, on Sept. 15.
MU's set three win was the first frame Texas had dropped since a 25-19 set two loss to then-No. 15 Baylor on Nov. 19.
Outside of its lone five-set loss at Iowa State on Oct. 19, Texas has only played in eight other matches to go longer than three sets, including its only five-set win at Kansas on Sept. 21 to start Big 12 play.
Since the loss in Ames to the Cyclones, UT had swept all but two opponents, including its first two NCAA tournament foes Fairleigh Dickinson (25-6, 25-13, 25-13) and Georgia (25-14, 25-16, 25-15).
The only three teams to push the Longhorns to a fourth set since their Oct. 19 loss are Kansas State on Oct. 28. Baylor on Nov. 19 and MU on Thursday.
Inside its home venue, Texas averages nearly 4,300 fans per match and is a perfect 16-0 this season. The Longhorns are the No. 1 national seed for the second time in program history and are among the top-4 national seeds for the 13th time since 2007.

UP NEXT: The Golden Eagles will return six starters from a team that won 29 matches, reached the NCAA regional semifinals for the second time in program history and went a perfect 18-0 at the Al McGuire Center.

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).