Volleyball claims BIG EAST crown with sweep of Seton Hall

Box Score (PDF) | Cinematic Recap (YouTube)

MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University women's volleyball team claimed its third-consecutive BIG EAST Conference regular season championship with a, 25-8, 25-11, 25-12, sweep of Seton Hall on Saturday evening at the Al McGuire Center.

Aubrey Hamilton led the Golden Eagles (20-9, 16-2 BIG EAST) with a match-best 11 kills and Marquette hit a combined .349 (44-7-106) with 9.0 total team blocks. The victory secures at least a share of the conference title and MU can claim an outright championship if Creighton were to lose at home on Sunday afternoon to Butler.

"It was a great team effort," 10th-year MU head coach Ryan Theis said following the victory. "We wanted to make it hard for Seton Hall to get kills and I think we did a great job of that from the start."

The Golden Eagles dominated the match from start to finish, holding the Pirates (14-15, 8-10 BIG EAST) to a hitting mark of -.009 (19-20-111) with more hitting errors than kills. MU's block provided much of the resistance on the night and accounted for six points in the opening frame as Marquette limited Seton Hall to just four kills and 11 hitting errors.

Five hitters had at least six kills for Marquette with middles Carsen Murray (7-0-12) and Hattie Bray (9-1-12) hitting .583 and .667, respectively. Senior Anastasija Svetnik got the start on the right side and responded with six kills, three blocks, three digs and an ace.

"If we're versatile offensively - we've got hitters moving around in different zones around the net - it's just a lot for people to defend," Theis said.

The regular season league title is the third in as many years for the Golden Eagles and their fourth all-time (2013, 2021-23). MU honored the 2013 team during Friday night's match against St. John's to recognize the 10th anniversary of Marquette's first BIG EAST title.

NOTABLE:

Seton Hall's 31 total points are the fewest the Golden Eagles have allowed in a match this season.
Freshman defensive specialist Molly Berezowitz notched five digs and her first career kill.
The regular season conference championship is the ninth in the 16-year head coaching career of Ryan Theis. In addition to his three with MU, he also earned one in all six seasons at Ohio in the Mid-American Conference.
Marquette leads the all-time series with the Pirates, 24-5, and all 29 meetings have come since MU joined the BIG EAST for the 2005 season.
The Golden Eagles have won each of the last 15 meetings against SHU.
MU won the first meeting this season in four sets on Oct. 13 at Walsh Gymnasium. Hamilton led MU with 18 kills and the Golden Eagles hit a combined .270.
Marquette swept SHU in both meetings last season. The Pirates earned just 36 total points and hit -.032 in the last match on Oct. 21, 2022 in Milwaukee. MU hit .367 in the win.
Marquette has won at a 75.3 percent clip (223-73) since joining the BIG EAST in 2005 and is 136-29 (.824) in BIG EAST matches under head coach Ryan Theis.
MU is 99-14 (.876) in BIG EAST play over the last seven seasons (2017-23) under Theis, including consecutive regular season league titles in 2021 (16-2) and 2022 (17-1).
Anastasija Svetnik, MB, Sr., Minsk, Belarus
- Svetnik arrived at Marquette in the summer of 2021 as a transfer from Oregon State, where she played in 18 matches during the truncated 2020-21 season.
- Svetnik started the first three matches this season and played a pivotal role in a pair of late-season victories over UConn and at Georgetown last weekend. She is a two-time BIG EAST All-Academic Team selection and a four-semester member of the Athletics Director's Honor Roll who will graduate in December with a bachelor's degree in innovation and entrepreneurship.
Sarah Kushner, L, Grad Student, Naperville, Illinois
- Kushner is in her first season at Marquette after playing four years at Illinois State University, from which she graduated in May. She's pursuing a master's degree in management from the MU College of Business Administration.
- After transitioning from an outside hitter to a full-time libero this fall, Kushner has excelled in BIG EAST play, ranking third in the league entering this weekend with 4.48 digs per set. The native of Naperville, Illinois has earned three conference weekly accolades this fall for her play as Marquette's libero, including the league's defensive player of the week honors on Oct. 23.
Marquette also has three other starters in their fourth collegiate season, though all three (Anchante, Hamilton and Carsen Murray) plan to use their extra season of COVID eligibility next fall.

UP NEXT: Marquette's sweep of St. John's on Friday evening secured a first round bye in the BIG EAST Conference Women's Volleyball Championship Presented by JEEP. Regardless of earning the No. 1 or 2 seed, the Golden Eagles will play the first semifinal match on Friday, Nov. 24 at 12:30 p.m. Central time. Tickets for the 2023 BIG EAST Conference Women's Volleyball Championship presented by JEEP are on sale now through the Marquette Ticket Office.

Prices are as follows for tickets online:
- All Session Reserved: $18 (adult)
- All Session GA: $14 (adult)
- Single Session Reserved: $10 (adult)
- Single Session GA: $8 (adult)
Discounted group ticket rates are available to purchase at the Al McGuire Center Ticket Office (770 N 12th Street, Milwaukee) or by calling 414-288-GOMU (4668). Individuals should also make inquiries to the Ticket Office for youth ticket rates.
Match Times (Marquette will play in the first semifinal on Friday at 12:30 p.m. Central time):
- Quarterfinals: Wednesday, Nov. 22 at 3 and 5:30 p.m. CT (BEDN)
- Semifinals: Friday, Nov. 24 at 12:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. CT (BEDN)
- Final: Saturday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m. CT (FS2)

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