(MARQUETTE COMMUNICATIONS) MILWAUKEE – The Marquette University volleyball team (4-5) defeated St. Thomas (2-7) in five sets Saturday afternoon at the Al McGuire Center.
Carson Tyler paced the Marquette offense with 28 kills on a .297 hitting percentage, while adding 14 digs, three service aces and four blocks. Caydence Doolan provided a major boost with 17 kills and a team-best .333 hitting percentage, while Tani Juric and Molly Welge each chipped in eight kills. Welge hit .316 and posted a team-high seven blocks, while Luanna Markus directed the offense with 54 assists and 10 digs. Defensively, Emi Juric led MU with 22 digs, Avery Helms added 17 and Tyler finished with 14 as the Golden Eagles totaled 81 digs and 11 blocks.
Marquette and St. Thomas traded runs throughout a tightly contested opening set, with neither side able to create much separation. The Golden Eagles erased an 11-9 deficit and later took a 17-14 advantage behind kills from Welge and Tyler. After St. Thomas pulled even at 17, Marquette regained the lead late as Caydence Doolan recorded a pair of kills and Tyler added another before an Allie Beers service ace put MU ahead, 23-21. The Tommies fought off set point at 24-23, and Tyler answered St. Thomas set points with kills at 25-24 and 26-25. St. Thomas ultimately closed the frame with the final two points to claim the opener, 28-26.
Marquette and St. Thomas remained even through much of the second set before the Golden Eagles used kills from Carson Tyler and Caydence Doolan, along with a Tyler service ace, to take a 15-13 lead. Doolan added three more kills as MU maintained an 18-16 advantage, but the Tommies responded with a 7-1 run to move in front, 23-19. Marquette fought off one set point before St. Thomas closed out the set, 25-21.
Marquette overcame an early 5-1 deficit in the third , using a 5-0 run highlighted by an Emi Juric service ace and two Doolan kills to take a 6-5 lead. The teams remained within two points of each other until St. Thomas went ahead, 18-16, before the Golden Eagles responded with six unanswered points. Molly Welge and Carson Tyler notched kills during the run, while Tani Juric combined with Welge on a block and added a kill to put MU ahead, 22-18. Tyler tallied three more kills down the stretch before Welge finished the frame with a solo block to give Marquette the set, 25-20.
Marquette carried its momentum into the fourth set and broke open a back-and-forth frame late. After St. Thomas took a 15-14 lead, Caydence Doolan tied the set with a kill before the Golden Eagles used a 7-2 stretch to move in front, 22-18. Carson Tyler powered the run with three kills, while Tani Juric and Julia Stanev combined for a block. Tyler added two more kills to push Marquette to match point at 24-19, and the Golden Eagles completed the comeback victory on a St. Thomas attack error, 25-19.
Marquette jumped in front early in the fifth set behind a pair of Carson Tyler kills and a Caydence Doolan termination to build a 4-1 advantage. The Golden Eagles extended the lead to 8-3 on kills from Doolan and Tani Juric before St. Thomas pulled within three at 9-6. MU answered with consecutive points, including a block from Juric and Molly Welge, and Tyler later pushed the advantage to 13-8 with her third kill of the frame. After St. Thomas fought off the first match point, Doolan delivered her fourth kill of the set to complete Marquette’s comeback victory, 15-10.
NOTES
- MU improves to 2-0 all-time against the Tommies
- Marquette recorded season highs in kills (62), assists (60) and digs (81). The 62 kills were MU’s most since posting 63 against Louisville on 12/6/2025, while the 60 assists were its most since recording 61 against Xavier on 10/17/2025.
- Marquette finished with 11 blocks, marking its third consecutive match with double-digit blocks after recording 10 at Illinois and 10 at No. 6 Wisconsin. The 11 blocks were MU’s second-highest total of the season behind 12 against No. 2 Texas.
- Marquette secured their first five-set victory since Aug. 31, 2025
- Marquette earned its first five-set victory of the season and its first win after falling behind 2-0. MU entered the match 0-2 in five-set contests and 0-2 when trailing 2-0
- Carson Tyler recorded 28 kills and continued her double-digit kill streak, recording the mark in all nine matches this season and every match dating back to Oct. 28, 2025.
- Tyler also recorded her fourth double-double of the season, recording 28 kills and 14 digs while adding a season-high three service aces
- Tyler’s 28 kill performance marks her first 20+ kill performance at Marquette, and the 14th of her career
- Tyler’s 28 kills tied for the fifth-most in a match in Marquette program history, and most since Natalie Ring recorded 29 at Louisville on 12/6/2025.
- Tyler also surpassed 1,000 career kills in today’s match
- Caydence Doolan finished with a career-high 17 kills, her first double-digit kill performance of her career. Doolan entered the match with only six kills through her first nine sets of the season.
- Berrak Sporeli made her Marquette debut at middle blocker during set two
- Emi Juric recorded 22 digs, her fifth-straight match with double-digit digs and the eighth of nine matches this season.
- Her 22 digs also set a new career-high
- Her 22 digs are also the first time in her career surpassing 20 digs
- The 22 digs are the most in a match since Adriana Studer had 20 vs. Louisville on 12/6/2025
- Molly Welge matched a career-best in kills with eight, also finishing with seven blocks. Welge has recorded at least three blocks in all nine matches this season and has totaled 20 blocks over MU’s last three matches.
- Luanna Markus established a new career-best with 54 assists
- Markus also recorded her third double-double of her career with 54 assists and 10 digs
- Markus’ 54 assists are the most in a match since Isabela Haggard’s 55 vs. Louisville on 12/6/2025
- Avery Helms recorded a career-high 17 digs
- Allie Beers finished with 11 digs, her second match this season with double-digit kills and matched her career-high
UP NEXT
Marquette wraps a two-match homestand at the Al McGuire Center Sunday afternoon, taking on the Milwaukee Panthers at 2 p.m. CT.
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