With a chance to clinch a spot in the Big East Conference Tournament, the volleyball team lost to the Marquette Golden Eagles, 3-2, on Sunday after defeating Syracuse on Saturday, 3-1. The loss puts the Pirates in sixth place in the Big East with a 12-16 overall record and 6-6 in conference matches.
The Hall entered the match against Marquette in sixth place in the Big East, needing just one more win to earn a berth into the conference tournament.
"I still feel great. All we need is one win and we clinch," head coach Kris Zeiter said. "We have two home matches this weekend and I feel as if we will win at least one."
In the first set, Marquette went on a three point run when it was tied 20-20, until the Pirates took the lead with four consecutive points finished off by a kill from junior Megan Matusiak. At set point the Golden Eagles committed an error giving the Pirates the first set, 25-23.
The Golden Eagles won the second set after taking a 19-11 lead, eventually winning 25-16.
Marquette held the lead for the duration of the third set and won, 25-17.
With a 2-1 defecit in the match, the Hall found themselves trailing 20-18 in the fourth set. Following kills from sophomore Hannah Hugeback and Matusiak, a pair of errors from Marquette won the set for the Hall 25-21, tying the match at 2-2.
In the fifth and final set, the Pirates took the early 6-4 lead before the Golden Eagles went on a 8-1 run, to go up 12-7. The Hall would lose the set 15-10 and the match 3-2.
On Saturday, the Pirates defeated the Syracuse Orange in four sets, 3-1.
Starting the match by taking a 10-8 lead in the first set, the Hall then went on a 5-0 run to open their lead to seven points. The Pirates held onto the lead for the rest of the set winning, 25-17.
With a slight 9-7 lead, the Hall went on a 7-1 run to extend their lead to 16-8. The Pirates again took a set 25-17 for the 2-0 lead.
Both teams went back and forth in the third set which containing 18 tie scores and seven lead changes. Syracuse went on a 4-1 to win the set 25-22.
The Pirates took the early lead in the fourth set before the Orange went on a 10-3 run that put them ahead 23-21.
Osmun tied the set back up at 23-23 with a pair of kills, but the Hall still faced a set point at 24-23.
Another Osmun kill tied it before a Hugeback kill won the set for the Pirates 26-24, and the match 3-1.
The Hall will face the DePaul Blue Demons on Nov. 13 in Walsh Gymnasium
Stephen Valenti can be reached at stephen.valenti@student.shu.edu.
Stephanie Vedral can be reached at stephanie.vedral@student.shu.edu.
