Last Night In #BIGEASTvb – 9.23.17
NEW YORK – Marquette moves to 2-0 in league action and DePaul evens its BIG EAST record at 1-1 as four games highlighted a Friday night BIG EAST volleyball schedule. Also earning wins was No. 15 Creighton, their 25th straight in BIG EAST regular season action, and Providence. Creighton’s 25-match streak is the third longest in league history.
DePaul 3, St. John's 2 (17-25,25-20,23-25,25-16,15-11)
DePaul evened its league record at 1-1 with a five- set win at home over St. John’s on Friday night. Caire Anderson led all players with 22 kills for DePaul. Kelsey Horvath contributed a team-high 47 assists. Haley Bueser racked up 27 digs to top the match. St. John’s was led in kills by Julia Cast with 21. Sophomore setter Erica Di Maulo led for the match with 48 assists. In the two sets St. John’s one, the first and the third, the Red Storm hit over 60 percent.
St. John’s Up Next: at Marquette (9/23)
DePaul Up Next: Seton Hall (9/23)
No 15 Creighton 3, Georgetown 1 (25-12,25-11,20-25,25-11)
Creighton’s BIG EAST winning streak extended to 25 matches as the Bluejays defeated Georgetown 3-1 at home at DJ Sokol Arena Friday night. As a team, Creighton hit .446, the best mark for any four-set match in school history. Playing without BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Lydia Dimke for the second straight match, the Bluejays showed off their versatility by unveiling an offense that featured Samantha Bohnet and Megan Ballenger splitting time at the setter position. Bohnet dished 24 assists while Ballenger added 23 helpers to quarterback the Bluejays. Ballenger also had eight kills, four digs and a block, while Bohnet served up three aces to equal her previous best done in last year's visit to Omaha by Georgetown. Taryn Kloth had her first career double-double, finishing with 15 kills and 10 digs, while junior classmate Jaali Winters also had a double-double with 15 kills and 13 digs. Georgetown (6-7, 0-1 BIG EAST) was led by Symone Speech, who had 16 kills and hit .343. Kenzie Higareda had 16 digs and Paige McKnight tallied 32 assists and a dozen digs. GU hit .179 and finished with 40 kills, two aces, 43 digs and four blocks on the evening.
Creighton Up Next: Villanova (9/24)
Georgetown Up Next: at Providence (9/24 on BEDN)
Marquette 3, Seton Hall 0 (25-20,25-20,25-19)
Marquette scores win No. 2 in league play as the Golden Eagles swept Seton Hall, 3-0, at home. Allie Barber led the squad with 16 kills and a .406 hitting percentage, followed closely by Jenna Rosenthal who had 15 kills and a .462 hitting percentage on the night and tallied six blocks. Anna Haak tallied her second double-double of the season with 10 kills and 12 digs. Lauren Speckman continued her strong sophomore campaign as she dished out 40 assists, which increases her season average to 12.04 per contest. The Pirates were paced by Abby Thelen with 11 kills, while Sarah Kenneweg collected a match-high 14 digs. Marquette has swept their last three opponents.
Marquette Up Next: St. John’s (9/23)
Seton Hall Up Next: at DePaul (9/23)
Providence College 3, Villanova 1 (25-22,25-27,25-20,25-19)
Providence opened 2017 league play with a win at home in a four-set match against Villanova. Addison Root shined in her BIG EAST debut for the Friars with a double-double, 21 kills, 10 digs. Freshman Allison Barber recorded a double-double as well, with 52 assists and 11 digs. The Friars had four players have double-digit kills and four players have double-digit digs. Freshman libero McKenzie Lydon had 14 digs. Allie Loitz paced Villanova with 14 kills. Freshman Malllory Potts had 13 kills on .324 hitting. Remy Fairchild led with 16 digs, a match high.
Providence Up Next: Georgetown (9/24 on BEDN)
Villanova Up Next: at No. 15 Creighton (9/24)
This Weekend in #BIGEASTvb
Saturday, Sept. 23
BUTLER at XAVIER at 6 p.m.
SETON HALL at DEPAUL at 7 p.m.
ST. JOHN’S at MARQUETTE at 7 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 24
GEORGETOWN at PROVIDENCE at 1 p.m. (BEDN)
VILLANOVA at No. 15 CREIGHTON at 2 p.m. (FSGO)
All times are Eastern.