Box Score Milwaukee, Wisc. – Villanova dropped their second match of the road trip despite putting up a good fight against No. 9 Marquette, falling 3-1 in Milwaukee Saturday night.
The Wildcats continued to perform well against top-10 teams, with a first set victory to open the match. The win gave the Wildcats four-straight sets wins over top-10 teams going back to their straight-sets win last weekend over then-No. 9 Creighton. Marquette built a bit of an early lead at 11-6, but Nova stormed back with six straight points to take a 12-11 lead. The run was fueled by Potts and Delaplane each notching a pair of kills. With the match later tied at 22-22, a useful timeout by Villanova led to the 'Cats scoring two of the last three points to get on the board first at 25-23.
While the second set was even closer than the first, the Golden Eagles found their stride during the set. Marquette led again early, but Villanova worked its way back, slower this time as they chipped away point by point to tie it up for the first time at 16-16. After trailing 24-22, another good timeout led to two Wildcat points to hold off elimination and guarantee at least one extra possession. After the tie, Marquette quickly put it away 26-24 and tie the match.
Marquette kept things rolling in the third set with the largest margin of victory in the match. Villanova led 10-9 following a kill from
Clare Delaplane, but a 5-0 run from Marquette quickly gave them a lead it wouldn't give up. The Wildcats were unable to get any closer than three and Marquette pulled away to win it 25-18.
Villanova stayed point-for-point with Marquette for most of the fourth set. A few kills from Sanaä Barnes helped tie the set at 16-16, but Marquette then turned it on and pulled away to take the set 25-19, and the match 3-1.
"We played hard and had chances in the second to go up 2-0," head coach
Josh Steinbach said. "I think if we can make one more play there it's a different outcome. But Marquette is very good and they showed it in the third and fourth."
Four Wildcats finished with double figure kills, paced by Pott's 12. Delaplane had 11 while Barnes and Howling each added 10. Two Wildcats also notched double-digit digs as
Regan Lough had 22 and
Sarah Allman posted a season-high 15.
Villanova returns to action for the final weekend of the regular season next weekend. The Wildcats head to Seton Hall on Friday night, before returning home for senior night against St. John's on Sunday.
