Syracuse University
Marquette University
SU Looks to Extend Streak in Week Nine
10/24/2009 11:34:39 AM | Volleyball
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – Syracuse (18-5, 7-1) looks to extend its seven-match win streak and solidify its spot in the BIG EAST Championship when it visits Marquette (14-9, 3-5) on Saturday, October 24 at 3 p.m. ET. The Orange then takes a break from conference action against Wisconsin-Green Bay (7-5, 3-7) on Sunday, October 25 at 1 p.m. ET.
Orange on the Net
Both matches will be available via livestats. Saturday's match against Marquette will also be broadcast by Marquette student radio, WMUR.
Marquette Live Stats | Listen Live
Wisconsin-Green Bay Live Stats
Last Time Out: Still Undefeated at Home
Syracuse remained a perfect 9-0 at home on the season with a pair of BIG EAST victories last weekend. The Orange defeated South Florida, 3-1, on Friday before upending Georgetown, 3-1 on Sunday.
Junior Hayley Todd, who lists at middle blocker but has hit from the outside on numerous occasions throughout the season, had a breakout game against USF, leading all hitters with a career-best 21 kills. With that performance, Todd was the offensive leader for the Orange through its two matches, posting 25 kills to average 3.12 kills per game with a .308 attack percentage. Senior middle blocker Sarah Morton was close a close second, hitting .348 with 23 kills while sophomore Noemie Lefebvre added 20. Rookie setter Laura Homann fueled the SU offense, dishing out 88 assists to average 11 helpers per set.
Defensively, Lefebvre and senior defensive specialist Shanetha McLaurin split time at libero, each tallying 27 digs through the two matches. Senior outside hitter Kacie MacTavish added 20 back row pickups while junior defensive specialist Sarah Hayes and Homann chipped in 12 apiece. Morton, the national leader in solo blocks, total blocks and blocks per set, continued her dominance at the net, posting 16 total rejections. Lefebvre added eight blocks while freshman middle blocker Samantha Hinz had six.
The Syracuse-Marquette Series
Syracuse leads the all-time series with the Golden Eagles, 4-2, dating back to 1994. The Orange has won the last pair of meetings between the two teams, defeating Marquette, 3-2, in Milwaukee last season.
Scouting the Golden Eagles
Marquette is 14-9 on the season and 3-5 in conference play under the direction of first-year head coach Bond Shymansky.
Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Beyer is the key to Marquette's offense, drawing 300 more sets than every other player on the roster. Beyer is averaging 3.26 kills per game with 290 kills on the season while junior middle blocker Rabbecka Gonyo ranks second with 195 kills. Junior Nikki Klingsporn directs the Marquette offense in a 6-2 formation, having dished out 963 assists on the season to average 10.70 helpers per set.
The Golden Eagles boast a solid defense, with five different student-athletes posting more than 140 digs on the season. Freshman defensive specialist Kelsey Warner leads the squad with 282 digs while senior defensive specialist Hailey Viola is second with 202 back row pickups. Gonyo leads the Marquette defense at the net with 100 total blocks while freshman Kelsey Mattai has 62 total rejections.
Syracuse-Wisconsin Green Bay Series
Sunday's match will be the first meeting between Syracuse and Wisconsin-Green Bay. The Phoenix is the second unfamiliar opponent for SU this season; the Orange suffered a 3-1 setback against Texas State in the inaugural meeting between the two teams earlier this season at the SMU Tournament.
Scouting the Phoenix
Wisconsin-Green Bay is 7-15 overall and 3-7 in Horizon League play, having lost six of its last eight matches heading into Sunday's contest. The Phoenix squared off against Marquette earlier in the week, falling in four sets, 3-1.
Senior outside hitters Nikki Hintze and Holly Visser are the biggest offensive weapons for the Phoenix, drawing more than half of all sets between the two. Hintze leads the team with 248 kills, averaging 3.18 per game, while Visser is a close second with 239 and a 3.06 kills per game average. Junior setter Whitney Schott directs the 6-2 offense with 810 assists and a 10.38 assists per game average.
Sophomore libero Laura Garrow leads the back row with 362 digs while Visser is an all-around threat, having posting 258 back row pickups on the season. Rookie middle blocker Carmen Leitermann is the defensive leader at the net with 48 blocks while sophomore middle Kelly Mischler is a close second with 40 total rejections.
