No. 23 Golden Eagles welcome LSU and UWM this Weekend

Match Notes (PDF)

MILWAUKEE – The No. 23 Marquette University women's volleyball team begins a weekend homestand with its Mental Health Awareness Match on Saturday against LSU at the Al McGuire Center, followed by a Sunday visit from Milwaukee.

The Golden Eagles welcome LSU to campus after the Tigers play UWM across town at the Klotsche Center on Friday night.

First serve against both squads is set for 1 p.m. and the matches will air live on FloSports. Bob Brainerd and Michelle Griffin-Wenzel will handle the call against LSU, while Matt Menzl will cover the Milwaukee match. Live statistics will be available through GoMarquette.com.

Sunday's match is First Responders Day, honoring those on the front lines safeguarding our community.

KEEP SHOWING UP: Saturday's matchup with the Tigers is MU's Mental Health Awareness Match. The Golden Eagles have teamed with alumna Jenny Fischer (Comm '19) and her Keep Showing Up campaign in support of suicide prevention awareness and mental health as a whole. Fischer began producing t-shirts adorned with the "Keep Showing Up" phrase in 2020 to raise money for the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Fischer's inspiration came from her personal connection to the cause. Her mother and grandfather both died by suicide.

Keep Showing Up shirts will be available for purchase at the match, and donations will be made to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. Fischer, a former member of the MU Athletics Communications Office, will be in attendance, as well as representatives from the Counseling Center, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention and the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Keep Showing Up merchandise can be purchased online and MU is offering complimentary tickets to mental health groups on campus and in the community. Those tickets can be claimed online.

National Suicide Prevention Week is Sunday, Sept. 4, to Saturday, Sept. 10. World Suicide Prevention Day is observed on Sept. 10 each year.

No. 24 MARQUETTE (4-1): The Golden Eagles picked up a 3-1 victory over Loyola Chicago in Tuesday night's home opener with freshman Ella Holmstrom providing a career-high 17 kills in the first extended action of her career.

The native of Rockford, Illinois entered the match against the Ramblers with four career kills and exited as one of three MU players to reach double digits.

Ella Foti, who was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for her play against then-No. 6 Wisconsin and High Point over the weekend, posted her first career double-double with 12 kills and 15 digs alongside three blocks.

Foti currently sits second in the BIG EAST among qualified players in hitting percentage (.356), while libero Carly Skrabak is among the conference leader with 4.95 digs per set (99 total) and Yadhira Anchante is fourth in assists per frame (9.30).

LSU (3-3): The Tigers are 3-3 on the year, coming off a three-set loss to then-No. 21 Penn State in Baton Rouge on Saturday night. LSU does own victories over Samford, Troy and Iowa State, but this weekend's matches against Milwaukee and the Golden Eagles will be the first away from the Maravich Center. LSU takes on Milwaukee Friday evening before their match with Marquette on Saturday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.

Former Oklahoma Sooner Sanaa Dotson is in her second season in Baton Rouge and leads the Tigers with 84 kills (4.00 per set) on .279 hitting. The Tigers are hitting a combined .232 while limiting their opponents to a mark of .160. Libero Ella Larkin leads the SEC in digs with a total of 107 on the year (5.10 per set).

SERIES WITH LSU: Marquette holds a 1-1 record against the Tigers, with the most recent matchup coming in 2018 in Waco, Texas. The Golden Eagles swept LSU in three sets.

MILWAUKEE (1-5): The Panthers are 1-5 on the year and are coming off a four-set loss to then-No. 11 Purdue on Saturday in West Lafayette. Milwaukee's lone win of the season came against Bradley on Sept. 2. The Panthers, who have played a schedule featuring five power conference opponents so far, welcome LSU to Milwaukee on Friday for a 5 p.m. match at the Klotsche Center before Sunday's match at the Al.

The 2021 Horizon League Freshman of the Year Madi Malone leads the Panthers with 78 kills and 3.25 kills per set. Malone led Milwaukee with 13 kills and 12 digs in its lone win over Bradley. Junior Ari Miller is second on the team with 66 kills (2.75 per set) and the Panthers are hitting combined .206 as a team. Opponents have hit .263 against UWM.

The Panthers are led by Susie Johnson in her 26th year with the program, including 10 years as an assistant and associate head coach. MU head coach Ryan Theis worked with Johnson and the UWM women's volleyball program during his time as an undergraduate on the East Side before graduating in 2000.

SERIES WITH MILWAUKEE: Marquette holds a 33-46-1 record against the cross-town foe with its most recent matchup coming in 2017, which was a 3-0 MU sweep. Despite the series record, Marquette has defeated the Panthers in the last 11 meetings, with the last loss coming in 2006.

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).