Marquette Downs Xavier in Regular-Season Finale

CINCINNATI, Ohio. - The Marquette University women's volleyball team (17-9, 11-5 BIG EAST) snapped the 13-match win streak of Xavier (25-3, 14-2 BIG EAST) with a four-set victory Sunday afternoon at the Cintas Center.

Natalie Ring led Marquette offensively with 21 kills on .292 hitting while also contributing nine digs, anchoring the Golden Eagles' attack. Hattie Bray added 11 kills on an efficient .500 hitting mark and tallied five blocks, helping MU control the net. Elena Radeff chipped in seven kills and two blocks, while setter Isabela Haggard ran the offense efficiently with 33 assists, four kills, and three blocks. Overall, Marquette hit .278 as a team, recorded eight team blocks, and tallied 48 digs.

Marquette opened with a quick 4–0 burst before Xavier pushed back to take a brief lead midway through the frame. The Golden Eagles answered immediately, stringing together a pivotal 7–0 run behind Studer's serve and a flurry of kills from Ring to reclaim control. Haggard added a late ace, and Bray finished the set with a kill to secure a 25–20 win and a 1–0 match lead.

The Golden Eagles controlled the second set from the opening points, using an early surge sparked by three quick kills from Ring and a solo block from Bray to build a 4–1 advantage. Marquette continued to separate as Haggard delivered an ace and added a pair of kills during a 6–1 run that pushed the lead to 11–6 and forced a Xavier timeout. MU's block also took hold, forcing multiple Musketeer attack errors while Bray and Radeff chipped in timely swings. Ring notched her fifth kill of the frame to make it 23–17, and Haggard capped a strong set with the clinching kill for a 25–18 win and a 2–0 match lead.

Set three featured the tightest play of the afternoon, with neither side able to separate early as the score moved level through 13–13. Xavier gained momentum to go up 16–13, then extended the lead behind steady sideout play. Marquette pulled within three on kills from Bray and Parks, but Xavier answered with a late push and closed the frame on an ace from Emma Grace to take the set, 25–19.

Marquette put together its most dominant stretch of the match in set four, breaking an early 8–8 tie with a massive 9–1 run behind the serving of Studer and steady first-contact play. Ring caught fire with four kills during the surge, while Bray and Radeff teamed up for key blocks to force a pair of Xavier errors. MU closed out the set with strong contributions from its bench, including kills from Emma Parks on the final two points, sealing a 25–13 win to take the match in four.

NOTABLES

With the win, Marquette snapped Xavier's 13-match win streak dating back to Oct. 3
The Golden Eagles take a four-match win streak into the postseason
MU tallied their highest RPI win of the season, with Xavier ranked No. 22 heading into the match
Natalie Ring extended her double-digit kills streak to 29 with 21 today, hitting the mark in every match since 11/30/2024
Natalie Ring tallied over 20 kills for the seventh time this season with 21 kills at Xavier
Hattie Bray (11) and Natalie Ring (21) combined for double-digit kills for the 12th time this season, and the sixth time in the past seven matches

UP NEXT

Marquette is set to host the 2025 BIG EAST Volleyball Championships next Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 22-23. MU will open the tournament on Saturday as the No. 4 seed, hosting top-seeded Creighton at 12:00 p.m. CT at the Al McGuire Center.