Volleyball falls to No. 7 Oregon

Box Score (PDF)

MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University women's volleyball team fell to No. 7 Oregon, 25-16, 25-19, 25-22, in its final non-conference match of the season.

Outside hitter Aubrey Hamilton led the Golden Eagles (4-7) with 12 kills, five digs and a block, while Jenna Reitsma had eight kills.

"Oregon is a great serve and pass team, and they showed that today," Marquette head coach Ryan Theis said. "That made it really, really difficult in the first. So right off the bat we started from a hole. And then I thought the second and the third we were competitive and had opportunities. I think in the third we missed two free-ball opportunities, and we lost those volleys. In the second I think we lost two digs and if you spin those for points, it's a totally different story. Everything needs to come together to beat an Oregon and it did not."

Oregon sophomore outside hitter Mimi Colyer led the Ducks (10-1) with 18 kills and 15 digs. Morgan Lewis and Gabby Gonzales joined Colyer in double figures with 10 kills apiece.

NOTABLE:

Sunday's match was MU's seventh this season against a ranked opponent. It was also the first ever game between MU and Oregon.
MU has nine matches this season against teams currently ranked in the AVCA Coaches Poll (No. 1 Wisconsin, No. 7 Oregon, No. 8 Pitt, No. 14 Creighton (twice), No. 15 Tennessee, No. 17 Purdue, No. 20 Kansas, No. 25 Dayton). Western Kentucky is also receiving votes.
MU right-side hitter Ella Foti opened the match with three kills for the Golden Eagles first three points. MU led the first 5-3 before an Oregon 6-0 run to take control. The Ducks had four team blocks in the first and Colyer had six of her 18 kills.
Oregon used a 6-1 run out of a 16-16 tie in the second to go up 2-0 at the break.
The Golden Eagles scored the first four points of the third after consecutive service aces from freshman Molly Berezowitz.
Colyer entered the weekend leading Oregon with 4.42 kills per set, a mark good for 16th nationally. Setter Hannah Pukis was 15th nationally with 11.00 assists per set and Kara McGhee was 27th in Division I with a .436 hitting percentage.
Oregon head coach Matt Ulmer is in his seventh season in Eugene and has led the Ducks to five NCAA tournament appearances and a pair of trips to the Elite Eight in 2018 and 2022.
Ulmer played collegiately at Carthage College (2005-07) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, where he was an AVCA All-American for current MU assistant coach LJ Marx. Ulmer still ranks in the Carthage career top-10 in assists, service aces and blocks.

UP NEXT: MU begins BIG EAST Conference play on Friday, Sept. 22 against Villanova at the Al. The Golden Eagles also host Georgetown on Saturday evening.

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).