MILWAUKEE, Wisc.- UConn volleyball opened BIG EAST conference play on Friday night, going on the road to take on the Marquette Golden Eagles, who were selected second in the preseason BIG EAST poll.

The Huskies and Golden Eagles switched momentum back and forth early, with UConn answering strong Marquette offensive play to knot the score at 4. Emma Werkmeister had three early kills and her nation-leading 35^th ace to pace her visiting UConn squad. Yadhira Anchante put her skills on display for Marquette on both ends, with an early ace and two blocks. Defensively, Taylor Pannell and Loren Winn anchored the Huskies to answer an aggressive Golden Eagle attack. Aubrey Hamilton and Hattie Bray extended the first set lead with two kills apiece to force a UConn timeout as the Huskies fell behind 17-13. Hanna Tylska got on the board with a kill, and Doga Kutlu poured in an ace as the Huskies attempted a first set comeback, but Marquette responded to take the first set 25-19.

Marquette went on an extended run to kick off the second set, with Carsen Murray and Jenna Reitsma getting involved on the offensive attack for the host Golden Eagles, constructing a 9-3 lead. Marquette continued with the pressure, taking 6 of the next 7 points to jump the lead all the way to double-digits. Tylska and Audrey Rome chipped in kills in the second, but the Golden Eagles were too much for the Huskies in the second set 25-10, taking a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

Werkmeister and Tylska attempted to dig UConn out of a big deficit with kills to get the visiting Huskies on the board in the third set with a slim advantage at 6-5. Tylska and Pannell continued to battle for the Huskies on the offensive end, trading points with the leading Golden Eagles to tie the score at 11-all. From that moment on, however, it was all Marquette, as the hosts rattled off nine of the next ten points to catapult the lead to 20-12 as they pushed UConn to the brink. Another ace from Kutlu and a few Marquette miscues cut the lead to 21-17 to get the visitors closer in the third. Werkmeister and Rome kept the Husky push going, snipping the lead to only one as the visitors looked to get the match to a fourth set. True to their play all year, the Huskies were relentless in their pursuit to come back, getting the score knotted at 24-all in the frame. Marquette was able to respond in the third to complete the sweep and hand the Huskies their first loss of the season.

Up Next: UConn flies out to Omaha, Nebraska, to take on 10-time defending conference champions #6 Creighton on Sunday afternoon. Marquette will continue their homestand against Providence on Sunday.