Volleyball falls at No. 7 Wisconsin in Kohl Center Classic

Box Score (PDF)

MADISON, Wisconsin – The Marquette University women's volleyball team won the opening set over No. 7 Wisconsin but fell in four, 22-25, 25-20, 25-16, 25-22, on Tuesday evening in the Kohl Center Classic.

Over 15,000 fans watched the in-state rivals square off at the Kohl Center as the Golden Eagles (3-4) jumped out to a 1-0 match advantage by hitting a combined .348 (20-4-46) in the first set victory.

Middle blocker Carsen Murray led Marquette on the evening with 12 kills and a hitting mark of .632 on 19 error-free swings with a team-high four blocks.Setter Yadhira Anchante had 15 assists in the first frame and posted 39 total alongside 14 digs and a season-high six kills.

Reigning AVCA National Player of the Year Sarah Franklin had a match-high 33 kills and eight digs for the Badgers (4-3), while middle blocker Anna Smrek notched 15 kills and six blocks.

UW broke free from a middle fo the tight second set for a 25-20 win and used a 10-0 run midway through the third to win 25-16. MU hit .306 in the fourth frame but the Badgers hit .417 and kept the Golden Eagles at arms-length in front of their home fans.

NOTABLE:

All seven MU opponents so far in 2024 competed in the NCAA tournament last season.
Murray has continued her hot play of late with her hitting line of 12-0-19. She was named to the BIG EAST Confrence Weekly Honor Roll on Monday after hitting .452 (21-2-42) with 2.33 kills and 1.11 blocks per set in wins over WKU and then-No. 24 Dayton last weekend and is now hitting a combined.508 in her last three matches against WKU, UD and UW.
Last season on Sept. 13, 2023, the two squads played at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee and set an NCAA regular season indoor attendance record. That mark was also the largest crowd to ever watch a women's sporting event in the state of Wisconsin.
MU has a total of eight Wisconsinites on its roster, compared to just two for UW. Molly Berezowitz (Burlington), Sam Naber (Burlington), Hattie Bray (Hancock), Aubrey Hamilton (Hartland), Ella Foti (Madison), Adriana Studer (Hartland), Morgan Daugherty (Brookfield), Natalie Ring (Madison) all hail from the state, as does MU head coach Ryan Theis grew up in Madison.

UP NEXT:
Following play in Madison on Tuesday, MU continues its season-long five-match road swing this weekend in Pittsburgh against East Carolina and No. 1 Pitt.

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).