Marquette Volleyball aims higher in 2023
The Golden Eagles advanced to their second NCAA Sweet 16 in 2022
Mike Wittliff, Communications
It’s been a steady rise for the Marquette women’s volleyball program over the last decade. An ascent that has lifted the Golden Eagles to their highest preseason ranking in program history at 12th nationally after a pair of NCAA Sweet 16 appearances in the last five seasons.
Last fall was special. The Golden Eagles went 29-4, won a BIG EAST Conference regular season title and advanced to the regional semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
With the sport of women’s volleyball garnering record television ratings and continually rising participation numbers at the youth levels, excitement around its growth has never been higher. Attendance numbers have also skyrocketed.
The Golden Eagles played in front of at least 2,000 fans in five of their final six matches last season with three of those coming at the Al McGuire Center in the regular season finale against Creighton and the NCAA First and Second Rounds.
Excited for what's to come! Thank you, fans! #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/CJ3zHnsejW
— Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) December 16, 2022
MU looks to build off that momentum with a match against the University of Wisconsin at Fiserv Forum on Sept. 13 to set a state attendance record. That match will be played in front of a national television audience on FS1, as will MU’s contest against Oregon just four days later at the Al.
It feels like something special is brewing in Milwaukee.
The Golden Eagles built off a successful spring season with a June trip to Europe, prior to which the team had an NCAA allotted 10 practices. MU played a total of six matches in Poland, Germany and Czechia, while working in a pair of newcomers in graduate transfer Sarah Kushner and freshman defensive specialist Molly Berezowitz.
High intensity first few practices at the Al McGuire Center for the Golden Eagles!#WeAreMarquette x @SoftwareOne pic.twitter.com/dY0VHuhbQ9
— Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) August 10, 2023
Our goals don’t change a lot. Our goal is to compete for a BIG EAST Championship and be the best Marquette team ever.Head coach Ryan Theis
The Roster
Roster continuity and player development may sound like a familiar refrain at Marquette, but it’s gotten results.
“Our biggest strength is that we return a lot of people and we’re really comfortable with one another,” said All-BIG EAST middle blocker Carsen Murray. “We’ve been able to build up that team chemistry. Last year it was a brand-new group, and we were all confident in our ability to compete, but this year are even more confident because we know what we can do. And we’ve done it together.”
The Golden Eagles lone departure from last fall’s rotation is the graduation of libero Carly Skrabak, while all six nominal starters return. Every roster player aside from Kushner has at least one more season of eligibility remaining after this fall.
The defense ?? The offense ??
— NCAA Women's Volleyball (@NCAAVolleyball) December 8, 2022
?? ESPN2 #NCAAWVB x @MarquetteVB pic.twitter.com/hXG4JVk39o
Position Groups (eligibility)
Setters
Yadhira Anchante (Jr.)
Ella Foti (So.) – primary right-side hitter
Outsides/Opposites
Jenna Reitsma (Jr.)
Aubrey Hamilton (Jr.)
Ella Holmstrom (So.)
Sienna Ifill (So.)
Natalie Ring (So.)
Middle Blockers
Carsen Murray (Jr.)
Anastasija Svetnik (Jr.)
Hattie Bray (So.)
Morgan Daugherty (Fr.)
Defensive Specialists
Sarah Kushner (GS)
Samantha Naber (Jr.)
Jadyn Garrison (Jr.)
Adriana Studer (So.)
Molly Berezowitz (Fr.)
Murray is entering her fourth year with the program and is someone Theis has highlighted for her tremendous growth since her first practice. The native of Lee’s Summit, Missouri has used her intelligence and work ethic to turn into one of the most efficient players in Division I.
“She absorbed all kinds of learning and just got stronger and stronger in the weight room and on the court.” Theis said. “It’s probably one of the quickest improvements in volleyball I’ve ever watched, which is possible with someone who had limited playing experience (prior to college).
"Her spirits have been phenomenal, and she is a terrific teammate. It’s one of my favorite parts of the job, watching how good she’s gotten at volleyball.”
Murray ranked as high as third nationally in hitting percentage last season and her career mark of .381 will rank as Marquette’s all-time best once she reaches the requisite 1,000 career attempts (she’s 123 shy). She led the BIG EAST in hitting percentage at .416 and total blocks (121) on her way to All-BIG EAST and AVCA All-Region recognition.
Carsen Murray's family support has been one of the driving factors in her success on and off the court at @MarquetteU. Learn a little more about her journey and what motivates her. #WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/fEnGOB18CN
— Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) November 8, 2022
Much of MU’s offensive efficiency last season can be attributed to setter Yadhira Anchante, who was a revelation during her first season in Division I.
The two-time NJCAA National Player of the Year earned AVCA All-America recognition and was the 2022 BIG EAST Setter of the Year as Marquette paced the BIG EAST in hitting percentage, kills and aces. The native of Lima, Peru averaged 10.78 assists per set to rank 22nd in the country.
“When we grade a pass or a dig, there’s situations where the middle isn’t (normally) going to get the ball, but Yadhi finds a way,” Theis said. “It just puts a ton of stress on our opponents and she’s the reason why a ton of our hitters were first team All-BIG EAST. She gets them in great situations often.”
The Golden Eagles were sixth nationally with 14.41 kills per frame, ninth in assists (13.34) and 11th in hitting percentage (.287).
Anchante played with Peru’s Under-23 Women’s National team this summer in the Pan-American World Cup in Mexico and is a unanimous preseason all-conference selection.
The selflessness of the only other setter on the roster may have made the biggest impact over the past two years.
Ella Foti enrolled early at Marquette in the spring of 2021 and watched as Taylor Wolf earned BIG EAST Player of the Year as MU’s setter, while she herself fought through an injury. Anchante entered the picture in the spring of 2022, and it was clear she was also going to have a significant impact.
Foti made the switch to right-side hitter last fall and turned in an all-freshman team campaign while hitting .306 with 2.21 kills and 1.21 digs per set.
She’s just a really good volleyball player. She’s probably our best right-back digger. She’s got good vision and makes a lot of good decisions. She finds the right place at the right time. With six rotations of Ella and Yadhi both out there, it seems to make us really good.Ryan Theis said of Foti
Marquette’s two outside hitters, Aubrey Hamilton and Jenna Reitsma, each turned in all-conference campaigns last season and provided something different to the lineup. Hamilton hit an efficient .247 on over 1,000 swings, while also recording 61 blocks as a net-front presence. Reitsma is a true six-rotation player who averaged 2.70 kills and 2.67 digs per set and led the league with 50 aces.
“Like Yadhi, Jenna puts stress on our opponents,” Theis said. “She looks to get into space quickly, whether it’s a back row attack in the gap or a front row inside or wide of a block.
"Aubrey has a lot of velocity behind the ball. So, where Jenna would try to beat you with speed, Aubrey would like a high up-and-down ball that she can take a rip at and hit off or down around the block. That combination of two very different outsides helps us.”
Longhorns continue to have problems with the MU serve in the third. Golden Eagles now up 20-11 on UT.
— Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) December 8, 2022
?? ESPN2#WeAreMarquette x #NCAAWVB pic.twitter.com/iAjVmxmkRV
The Golden Eagles also have options in the middle alongside Murray.
Hattie Bray was an all-conference and all-freshman selection last season and hit .354 with 85 total blocks in 32 starts. She played her best to close the year in a gauntlet against No. 15 Creighton, Ball State, No. 13 Georgia Tech and No. 1 Texas. In the NCAA tournament, Bray hit .432 with 2.6 kills per set and five bocks. She even recorded a career best five digs against Georgia Tech as MU advanced to the Sweet 16.
While Bray impressed at the end of the year as a pin hitter and developed defensively, the Golden Eagles will make use of Anastasija Svetnik's height and length after a year full of injuries. Svetnik played well during the spring and summer and will provide a valuable blocking presence.
In the back row, Samantha Naber returns for her third season after playing in all 33 matches, while Jadyn Garrison played in 26 as a serving substitute. Alongside sophomore Adriana Studer, the Golden Eagles added two newcomers in Kushner and Berezowitz. Kushner recorded over 1,000 kills and 1,000 digs as an outside hitter at Illinois State and was a two-time all-league selection.
Marquette also has a talented group of sophomore hitters waiting in the wings for their chance to make an impact on the court.
“That group has some real dynamic physical aspects to their game,” Theis said. “Natalie Ring maybe hits the hardest on our team. Sienna (Ifill) and Carsen are the two highest jumpers on the team. (Ella) Holmstrom brings a lot of pace. Morgan (Daugherty) is a really good offensive middle and she’s coming along defensively. And Adriana (Studer) is one of our top passers.
“As they keep getting better at the pace of six-on-six that we play, you’re seeing less volleys end on them. They’re getting better and you are going to see them step in and help us win matches.”
The Schedule
Marquette boasts one of the most formidable non-conference schedules in the country and will be challenged early and often in 2023. MU opens the season in Dayton against No. 24 Western Kentucky, Drake and the host Flyers before heading to Kansas for Labor Day weekend for matches against the Jayhawks and No. 16 Purdue.
We have a really good schedule this season and it’s exciting to know that we get to play with the best of the best. That’s why a lot of us are here. We knew that Marquette was a competitive program.Outside hitter Jenna Reitsma
The Golden Eagles are also slated to host the BIG EAST tournament at the McGuire Center over Thanksgiving weekend.
“I’m excited to chase another BIG EAST Championship, that’s always the goal,” Murray said.
Theis recognizes the daunting nature of the challenge before the Golden Eagles, but the one his team is eager to undertake.
The Golden Eagles are ranked 12th in the AVCA Poll and will challenge themselves with a loaded non-conference schedule.
— Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) August 21, 2023
"????'?? ?????????? ???? ???? ??????????, ?????? ?????? ???????? ???? ?????????????? ?????????? ????." -Ryan Theis#WeAreMarquette | @SoftwareOne pic.twitter.com/gPA1uCT5w9
“A lot of really good teams wanted to play us, especially at home. I actually checked with the team before the last one or two matches got scheduled and I said, ‘Are you guys up for this?’ That was February/March and (I said), ‘I’m not crazy. We’re in this together.’ And they said, ‘Yeah, let’s do it. Let’s play these games.’”
Taking the next step as a program requires it.
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). General admission season tickets at the Al McGuire Center are just $40 for the year and can be purchased online or by calling the Marquette Ticket Office at 414-288-GOMU (4668).