Some notes from Marquette volleyball’s (20-7, 14-2 Big East) final homestand:
Honoring an ever-growing senior class
The impacts of the 2024 Marquette volleyball senior class will forever be remembered in the rafters — with three-straight Big East regular season titles and a second-ever Sweet 16 birth earning them that honor.
But the way it looked from day one four years ago to the way it looks today is not the same.
Ella Foti and Carsen Murray showed up first in 2020. Jenna Reitsma, Samantha Naber and Jadyn Garrison came in 2021. Aubrey Hamilton and Yadhira Anchante transferred together in 2022.
“Just watching (Murray, Foti, Reitsma, Naber and Garrison) win three championships. And then Aubrey and Yadhi coming for two and just what they’ve meant to the program and their level of success helping us play at a high level,” head coach Ryan Theis said.
“So it’s been a fun run with this group.”
But regardless of who arrived when, they all took the program to new heights; a fact which provided extra weight to Friday’s Senior Day celebrations.
“It’s a talented group that was fun to work with, and did anything that was asked of them, so I couldn’t ask for a better group,” Theis said.
THANK YOU, SENIORS!
#WeAreMarquette pic.twitter.com/6tac2cg4Rh
— Marquette Volleyball (@MarquetteVB) November 16, 2024
Anchante’s family visits for first time
Anchante has played 45 matches at the Al McGuire Center in her Marquette career. None of them, though, came with her family in attendance.
Until Friday.
For the first time in three years as a Golden Eagle, Anchante had the honor of playing in front of her parents, Claudia Peña and Jeyson Anchante, younger sister Jade and more, all of whom traveled from Spain to be present for Anchante’s senior day celebration and final two matches at the Al.
“I’m really happy that they got to come here. Just because it’s their first time here, and they haven’t watched me play in so long, like six or seven years,” Anchante said. “And I’m also happy they can see where I’m staying, and all my experiences at Marquette.”
The weekend was something of mixed emotions for Anchante.
She was happy her family got to watch her and that Marquette swept both of its opponents, Georgetown on Friday and Seton Hall on Sunday, but there was also a part of her that understood what the flowers and banners and posters meant: her time playing on campus was over.
“At the beginning of this season, I didn’t even think about it until now,” she said after her final match on the Al McGuire Court. “Now it’s just hitting me. And yeah, it’s sad.”
In front of her family, Anchante flourished.
She posted 35 assists, nine digs, five kills, and three blocks against the Hoyas and followed it up with a 46-assist and 12-dig double-double on Sunday, her 19th of the year. Her assist mark against the Pirates is the highest of her career in a three-set match and the ninth highest in her 87 Division I appearances.
Anchante’s weekend earned her Big East setter of the week honors for the second time this season.
Early signees arrive on campus in January
The Golden Eagles’ seven-player senior class is a two-way street.
On one side, it means they have a bevy of experience and chemistry, making it easier to have success in the now. On the other, is the fact that all but one starter from this year will be gone for next season.
In order to help balance the difficulties those holes will bring come fall, three of the 2025 commits — Mari King, Keira Schmidt and Isabela Haggard — will come on campus early in January instead of the summer.
“It just helps get acclimated, so on Aug. 8, things aren’t new. Things are new Jan. 15,” Theis said. “They can learn the terminology. They can learn in the system. Then they can train in the summer with the rest of the teammates and already have that under their belt.
“So you’re just really minimizing, if we have six freshmen, you’re still gonna have six freshmen, but three of them know what’s going on.”
The decision to bring a player to campus one semester early comes down to both scholarships and academics, Theis said.
“Keira, for example, in the recruiting process, said, ‘Hey, we’re going to be done in December, and she wants to be somewhere in January.’” Mari, it was, hey, how’s your pace? ‘Oh, we’re way ahead. She could be done in December,’” Theis said.
“Some families are ready to pull the plug in January and send their kids to us, some it’s a little bit harder. It just depends on their situation.”
This article was written by Jack Albright. He can be reached at jack.albright@marquette.edu or on Twitter/X @JackAlbrightMU.