VB Wraps Regular Season with Trip to Butler, Xavier

The Marquette University volleyball team will wrap up the regular season this weekend with a pair of key BIG EAST road matches.

MU will kick the weekend off at Butler (12-15, 5-9 BIG EAST) this Saturday, Nov. 15, for a 12:00 p.m. CT first serve. The Golden Eagles then take on Xavier (24-2, 13-1 BIG EAST) this Sunday, Nov. 16 at 11:30 a.m. CT in the regular-season finale.

LAST TIME OUT

Marquette had a successful final homestand, sweeping away St. John’s and Seton Hall last Friday and Sunday, Nov. 7 and 9. Natalie Ring led the way with 13 kills vs. St. John’s and 11 vs. Seton Hall, adding eight digs in each match. Hattie Bray recorded seven kills (.636) and six blocks while reaching 1,000 career kills vs. St. John’s, then added 11 kills and six blocks vs. Seton Hall. Isabela Haggard guided the offense with 26 assists, seven digs, and four kills across the weekend, and Adriana Studer paced the back row with 16 digs and four aces.

HISTORY vs. OPPONENTS

The Golden Eagles will face both of this weekend’s opponents for the second time this season, this time on the road after splitting the weeknd matchups on Oct. 17-18. MU fell to Xavier in five sets on Oct. 17 at home, and hold a 22-10 all-time record against the Musketters. The Golden Eagles swept Butler on Oct. 18, and have a 23-9 all-time record against the Bulldogs.

RING LEADER

Outside hitter Natalie Ring has put on a dominant performance this season, leading MU in kills with 407, which leads all hitters in the BIG EAST and ranks 21st in the NCAA. Her 4.52 kills/set also leads the conference and ranks 19th nationally, and her 5.11 points/set is first in the BIG EAST and 16th in the NCAA.

“BRAY” WATCH

Hattie Bray has been a steady presence in the middle for the Golden Eagles, earning her second BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honor on 11/10. Bray surpassed 1,000 career kills last Friday against St. John’s, becoming the fourth middle and 15th student-athlete in MU history to do so. This season, Bray ranks third in the BIG EAST in blocks/set (1.17) and fourth in total blocks (105), while sitting third in hitting percentage (.361).

TOURNEY TIME AT THE AL

Marquette is set to host the 2025 BIG EAST Volleyball Championship next weekend at the Al McGuire Center in Milwaukee, Wis. The semifinals are set for Saturday, Nov. 22 at 12:00 p.m. and 2:30 p.m. CT, airing on ESPN+, with the championship set for Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2:00 p.m. on ESPN2. Three teams (Creighton, Xavier, Marquette) have qualified for the tournament, while Villanova and UConn battle for the fourth spot.

MARQUETTE MISC.

• Isabela Haggard runs the offense efficiently, ranking 3rd in the BIG EAST in assists per set (9.20) and 5th in total assists (819).
• Adriana Studer ranks 7th in the BIG EAST in digs per set and 13th in service aces, totaling 336 digs and 36 aces.
• Marquette averages 13.12 kills per set (4th), 2.31 blocks per set (4th), and a .246 hitting percentage (5th).
• MU limits opponents to .200 hitting (4th in BIG EAST).

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.