Marquette University Athletics
Marquette University
South Florida
VB Flies West to Take on South Florida, No. 4 Stanford
9/4/2026 11:27:00 AM | Women's Volleyball
Golden Eagles will face second ranked team of season Sunday.
The Marquette University volleyball team (1-2) is set to visit NorCal this Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 5-6, for a pair of matches to continue their tough non-conference slate. MU begins the weekend taking on South Florida (1-3) on Saturday before taking on the host and No. 4-ranked Stanford (3-0) on Sunday. Both matches are set to begin at 3 p.m. CT on each day inside Maples Pavilion, and will be broadcasted on ESPN+ and ACCNX.
LAST TIME OUT
Marquette split its two matches at the Flyer/Raider Invitational last weekend, falling to Dayton in four sets before sweeping Wright State for its first victory of the season. Carson Tyler earned all-tournament team honors after totaling 27 kills, 17 digs and four service aces across the two matches, while Emma Parks recorded a career-high 13 kills in the win over Wright State. The Golden Eagles hit a season-best .396 against the Raiders, and Luanna Markus averaged 31.5 assists per match across both games.
HISTORY VS. USF/STANFORD
Marquette renews a familiar rivalry with South Florida for the first time since 2012. The Bulls hold a slight 11-10 advantage in the all-time series, but MU has won each of the last three meetings, including a 3-1 victory in the most recent matchup on Nov. 17, 2012. The two programs were longtime conference rivals in Conference USA and later the BIG EAST before realignment separated them following the 2012 season. MU is seeking its first victory against Stanford as the Cardinal hold a 3-0 advantage in the all-time series. The teams most recently met on Sept. 4, 2024, at the Al McGuire Center, while the other meetings came in 2010 and 2005. Stanford has won all three contests, with two of the meetings coming against nationally ranked Cardinal squads.
SCOUTING THE BULLS
South Florida enters the week with a 1-3 record after opening the season against a challenging schedule. The Bulls dropped a five-set match to Eastern Kentucky and a contest against No. 3 Kentucky before rebounding with a three-set sweep of Utah State. Paula Tomasa led USF to its first win of the season with a double-double, while the Bulls have already faced a trio of NCAA Tournament-caliber opponents to begin 2026.
SCOUTING THE CARDINAL
Stanford enters the week ranked No. 4 nationally and off to a 3-0 start to the season. The Cardinal opened the year with victories over No. 6 Wisconsin and No. 15 Kansas at the Opening Spike Classic. Stanford was picked to win the ACC in 2026 and features six returning All-ACC selections under veteran head coach Kevin Hambly.
MARKUS THE MAESTRO OF THE MU OFFENSE
Freshman setter Luanna Markus has quickly established herself as one of the top setters in the conference. Nmed the BIG EAST Setter of the Week for her performances last week, Markus leads the BIG EAST with 98 total assists and ranks second in the league with 8.17 assists per set. She has recorded 35 assists in two of Marquette's three matches and adds offensive versatility with an impressive .588 hitting percentage, 25 digs and 11 blocks.
TYLER TAKES CHARGE
Junior outside hitter Carson Tyler has made an immediate impact for the Golden Eagles, leading the team with 45 kills (3.75 kills per set), 53.0 points and five service aces through the first three matches. Tyler has posted double-digit kills in all three contests, including 18 against Texas, 15 at Dayton and 12 in Marquette's sweep of Wright State. She currently ranks second in the BIG EAST in total kills and fifth in kills per set.
PARKS BREAKS THROUGH
Sophomore outside hitter Emma Parks is coming off a career-best performance at Wright State, where she recorded a career-high 13 kills while hitting .522. The effort helped Marquette secure its first victory of the season and raised her season average to 2.38 kills per set, second on the squad.
FINDING AN OFFENSIVE RHYTHM
After hitting .104 against Texas and .175 against Dayton, Marquette broke through offensively in its sweep of Wright State, posting a season-best .396 hitting percentage with 48 kills and just eight attack errors. The Golden Eagles placed four players at six or more kills and had every player with at least five attacks hit above .300 in the victory.
BALANCED ATTACK
Five different Golden Eagles have reached double figures in kills at least once this season. Tyler leads the way with 45 kills, while Tani Juric has added 25, Emma Parks 19, Keira Schmidt 13 and Molly Welge 13. Marquette enters the week with four players averaging at least 1.18 kills per set behind Tyler.
STRONG AT THE NET
Blocking has been one of Marquette's early strengths. The Golden Eagles rank fifth in the BIG EAST with 2.17 blocks per set and have outblocked opponents 26-23 through three matches. Marquette recorded 12 blocks against No. 2 Texas and has been led by Molly Welge's team-high 12 blocks and Luanna Markus' 11.
FRESHMAN IMPACT
Marquette's freshman class has played a major role in the opening weeks of the season. Markus ranks first on the team in assists, Emi Juric leads the squad with 32 digs, Tani Juric is second in kills with 25, and Welge leads the team in total blocks. The quartet has accounted for 49 kills, 130 assists, 72 digs and 26 blocks through three matches.
SERVING SUCCESS
The Golden Eagles have recorded 16 service aces through three matches and produced a season-high nine aces against Dayton. Tyler and Emi Juric each own four or more aces this season, while Allie Beers erupted for a career-high three aces in the win over Wright State, including the match-clinching point.
DEFENSIVE PRESENCE
Freshman libero Emi Juric has led Marquette's defensive effort, posting a team-best 32 digs and recording double-digit digs in each of her first two collegiate matches. She opened her career with 13 digs against Texas and followed with 11 at Dayton before adding eight more in the sweep of Wright State.
MARQUETTE QUICK HITTERS
- Marquette has outblocked its opponents 26-23 through three matches and ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in blocks per set (2.17).
- Carson Tyler has posted double-digit kills in all three matches this season and leads the team with 45 kills and 3.75 kills per set.
- Tyler ranks second in the BIG EAST in total kills (45) and fourth in points per set (4.42).
- Luanna Markus leads the BIG EAST with 98 total assists and ranks second in the conference at 8.17 assists per set.
- Freshman libero Emi Juric leads Marquette with 32 digs and has recorded double-figure digs in two of her first three collegiate matches.
- Tani Juric has recorded at least seven kills in all three matches and ranks second on the team with 25 kills.
- Molly Welge leads the team with 12 total blocks and has recorded at least three blocks in all three matches this season.
- Keira Schmidt is hitting .400 on the season, the highest mark among Marquette players with at least 20 attacks.
- Allie Beers recorded a career-high three service aces in the win over Wright State, including the match-clinching point.
