VB Opens Big East Play at UConn, Providence

The Marquette University volleyball team (5-5) is set to open BIG EAST action with a pair of matches this Friday and Saturday, Sept. 25-26. MU opens conference play with UConn (7-6) on Friday, with first serve set for 5 p.m. CT on ESPN+, and wraps the weekend with Providence (8-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m. CT on Friars Live.

LAST TIME OUT

Marquette closed non-conference play with a sweep of Milwaukee, 25-15, 25-11, 25-13, hitting .363 while holding the Panthers to .065. The Golden Eagles posted a season-high 14.5 blocks, led by Molly Welge‘s career-high 10, while Carson Tyler had a match-high 12 kills and Tani Juric added nine kills on .533 hitting. Emi Juric recorded 13 digs and two aces, and Luanna Markus dished out 33 assists as MU won its 16th straight match against Milwaukee and improved to 5-5.

HISTORY VS. UCONN/PROVIDENCE

Marquette owns a 16-3 all-time record against UConn and has won 13 consecutive matches in the series dating to 2010. The Golden Eagles are 9-1 at home and 6-2 on the road against the Huskies, including a perfect 10-0 mark over the last 10 meetings. MU swept UConn, 3-0, in each of the last three matchups in 2023, 2024 and 2025, most recently earning a 25-22, 25-16, 25-18 victory on Sept. 27, 2025, in Milwaukee.

Marquette has never lost to Providence, owning a 21-0 all-time record against the Friars. The Golden Eagles are 11-0 at home and 10-0 on the road in the series. Marquette has won 20 straight matches against Providence since a 3-2 victory in the first meeting on Sept. 10, 1999, with each of those 20 victories coming in straight sets. MU has not dropped a set to Providence since that inaugural matchup, winning 60 consecutive sets in the series. The Golden Eagles most recently defeated the Friars, 3-0, on Sept. 26, 2025, at home.

SCOUTING THE HUSKIES/FRIARS

UConn enters BIG EAST play at 7-6 after winning six of its last nine matches, including victories over Merrimack and Rhode Island last weekend. The Huskies average 12.24 kills per set on .213 hitting and have been particularly effective from the service line with 115 aces (2.35/set). Sydney Borowy leads the attack with 127 kills (2.70/set), while Helena Einarsdottir has 115 and Courtney Grayson adds 106 while hitting .345. Isabella Sohl directs the offense with 376 assists (8.17/set), Hazuna Akishige leads the defense with 154 digs (3.14/set) and Grayson has a team-best 50 blocks (1.04/set). Maja Daca leads UConn with 32 service aces (0.65/set).

Providence enters BIG EAST play at 8-3 after opening the season with eight wins in its first nine matches. The Friars are hitting .251 as a team while holding opponents to just .149 and average 2.67 blocks per set. Sophia Adkins leads the offense with 108 kills (2.77/set), while Tori Otter has 92 kills on .310 hitting. Aubrey Easterwood has been a force in the middle, hitting .393 with 73 kills and a team-high 59 blocks (1.51/set). Miller McDonald leads Providence with 201 assists and 20 service aces, while Ava Dyer anchors the defense with 154 digs (4.16/set).

TYLER TAKES CHARGE

Junior outside hitter Carson Tyler has recorded double-digit kills in all 10 matches and enters BIG EAST play averaging 4.03 kills and 4.76 points per set. She ranks 35th nationally and second in the BIG EAST in kills per set and 27th nationally and second in the league in points per set. Tyler leads Marquette with 157 kills, 185.5 points and 17 aces and closed nonconference play with 40 kills over the final two matches, including a Marquette career-high 28 against St. Thomas.

TYLER, DOOLAN POWER WEEKEND ATTACK

Carson Tyler and Caydence Doolan combined for 64 kills over Marquette’s two victories last weekend. Tyler totaled 40 kills, including 28 against St. Thomas and 12 against Milwaukee, while Doolan contributed 24 with a career-high 17 against the Tommies and seven against the Panthers. The duo combined for 45 of MU’s 62 kills against St. Thomas before adding 19 of 42 in Sunday’s sweep.

DOOLAN BREAKS THROUGH

Caydence Doolan enters BIG EAST play coming off the best weekend of her collegiate career. She recorded 17 kills on .333 hitting against St. Thomas and followed with seven kills on .313 hitting against Milwaukee, totaling 24 kills on .325 hitting over eight sets. Doolan entered the weekend with just six kills through nine sets before producing four times that total in two matches.

MARKUS THE MAESTRO

Freshman setter Luanna Markus enters her first BIG EAST match as the conference leader with 9.15 assists per set, a mark that ranks 87th nationally. Markus has 357 total assists, second in the BIG EAST, and has recorded at least 30 assists eight times in 10 matches. She set a career high with 54 assists against St. Thomas and followed with 33 while directing Marquette to a .363 hitting percentage against Milwaukee.

WELGE’S WALL

Freshman middle blocker Molly Welge ranks 31st nationally and second in the BIG EAST with 1.39 blocks per set. She has recorded at least three blocks in every match this season and owns 53 total blocks, which rank 43rd nationally and third in the conference. Welge has totaled 30 blocks over Marquette’s last four matches, capped by a career-high 10 against Milwaukee.

BLOCK PARTY

Marquette has reached double figures in blocks in four consecutive matches, totaling 45.5 during the stretch. The Golden Eagles followed 10-block efforts at Illinois and Wisconsin with 11 against St. Thomas and a season-high 14.5 against Milwaukee. MU enters BIG EAST play averaging 2.24 blocks per set, which ranks seventh in the conference and 105th nationally.

EMI ANCHORS THE BACK ROW

Freshman libero Emi Juric has recorded double-digit digs in six consecutive matches and nine of Marquette’s 10 contests. Juric leads MU with 129 digs (3.31/set), including a career-high 22 against St. Thomas and 13 against Milwaukee last weekend. She has also been highly efficient from the service line, recording 12 aces with just two service errors on 164 attempts.

TANI HEATING UP

Freshman Tani Juric enters BIG EAST action following a strong weekend in which she totaled 17 kills and eight blocks. Juric posted eight kills and three blocks against St. Thomas before recording nine kills with only one error on 15 attacks against Milwaukee for a career-best .533 hitting percentage. She also posted a career-high five blocks against the Panthers and ranks second on Marquette with 80 kills.

FINISHING NON-CONFERENCE STRONG

Marquette closed nonconference play with consecutive victories to reach 5-5, rallying from a 2-0 deficit to defeat St. Thomas in five sets before sweeping Milwaukee. MU posted season highs of 62 kills, 60 assists and 81 digs against the Tommies, then hit .363 with a season-high 14.5 blocks while holding Milwaukee to .065 hitting. The Golden Eagles are a perfect 4-0 in three-set matches entering BIG EAST action. In non-conference action, MU won at least one set in all matches and has not been swept on the season.

MARQUETTE QUICK HITTERS

• Marquette has outscored opponents 234-210 in first sets, its largest positive scoring margin in any frame this season.
• The Golden Eagles have also outscored opponents 235-220 in third sets.
• MU owns a 58-48 advantage in service aces through 10 matches.
• MU ranks sixth in the BIG EAST with 1.49 service aces per set.
• Carson Tyler ranks 59th nationally and second in the BIG EAST with 10.33 attacks per set.
• Tyler’s 185.5 total points rank 59th nationally and third in the BIG EAST.
• Tyler ranks fourth in the BIG EAST with 157 total kills.
• Tyler’s 403 total attacks rank fifth in the BIG EAST.
• Marquette has recorded at least six service aces in four consecutive matches.
• Avery Helms has recorded at least one ace in five consecutive matches, totaling six during the stretch.
• Annika Kowalski has recorded an ace in four consecutive matches entering BIG EAST play.
• Julia Stanev has recorded 11 blocks in 12 sets played, an average of 0.92 per set.
• The Golden Eagles have recorded 427 assists on 456 kills, an assist on 93.6% of their kills.
• MU is 1-4 in true road matches, with its lone road victory coming in a sweep at Wright State.
• The Golden Eagles enter BIG EAST play with an even 5-5 overall record after playing seven of their 10 nonconference matches away from home, including two neutral-site contests.
• MU has won each of its last three matches against UConn in straight sets.
• The Golden Eagles are 6-2 all-time on the road against UConn.
• Marquette is 21-0 all-time against Providence, including a 10-0 road record.
• MU has won 60 consecutive sets against Providence, sweeping each of the last 20 meetings.

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.

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