BIG EAST Action Continues at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday

Saturday, October 3

Indianapolis, Ind.

2 P.M.

Xavier University

Butler

BIG EAST Action Continues at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday

10.02.15 | Volleyball

Xavier, Butler slated to play at 2 p.m. on the BIG EAST Digital Network

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball continues its BIG EAST road swing at Butler on Saturday, Oct. 3. First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Saturday's match will be aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network. Live stats will also be provided at www.butlersporst.com

The Musketeers enters the match with a 7-7 (3-1 BIG EAST) record, while Butler is 5-11 (2-2 BIG EAST) on the year. Saturday's match is the second of four straight conference road contests for the Musketeers.

Xavier opened conference play with a 3-0 record before falling at DePaul in four sets on Wednesday night. Butler most recently dropped a four set match at Marquette on Sept. 30. The Bulldogs have conference wins over Providence and DePaul.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Junior Abbey Bessler was named the BIG EAST Player of the Week on Monday afternoon. The Hebron, Ky., native is the first Xavier player to earn the award since Alex Smith on Nov. 25, 2013. All told, Bessler has earned BIG EAST Rookie of the Week honors twice and has been tabbed to the weekly honor roll eight times – most recently on Aug. 31, 2015.

BESSLER'S BREAKOUT WEEK

• Abbey Bessler started the week by eclipsing the 1,000th career kill mark in the Musketeers 3-0 win at Marquette on Sept. 23. She now has 1,082 career kills.

• Abbey Bessler posted a school record 33 kills in the Musketeers five-set victory over St. John's on Sept. 25. She also added 11 digs and a .370 hitting percentage. The 33 kills are the most in a match by a BIG EAST player this season.

NOTABLES

• Abbey Bessler was one of four Xavier players with 10 or more kills in the loss at DePaul, posting a match-high 28 kills - the third most in XU single-match history.

• Abbey Bessler added a match-high 16 digs at DePaul, recording her eighth double-double of the year. The outside hitter now has 43 double-doubles in her career.

• In her last four matches, Abbey Bessler has recorded 5.93 k/s - totaling 89 kills - to go along with 3.93 d/s. The outside hitter posted a .328 hitting percentage in those matches.

• Sofia Peterson has recorded 2.67 k/s with a .322 hitting percentage in BIG EAST play. The middle blocker has added nine blocks in those matches.

• Freshman Laura Grossman posted a season-high 10 kills at DePaul to go along with a .316 hitting percentage.

• Redshirt-freshman Meredith Klare paces the Musketeers with 4.38 d/s, ranking fourth in the BIG EAST in the category.

• McKena Estes and Mackenzi Humm continue to share the setter responsibilities this season. Both players have dished out 275 assists this year, averaging 5.00 a/s.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Butler, 15-12. The Musketeers have won six of the last seven in the series.

• The two squads split the BIG EAST series last year with the road team winning each match. XU fell at home in five sets on Oct. 18 before picking up a four-set victory on Nov. 14.

• Abbey Bessler averaged 4.78 k/s and 3.11 d/s against the Bulldogs last season. Makayla Agin added 3.00 k/s with a .368 attacking percentage.

NCAA STAT RANKINGS

• In the most recent release of the NCAA statistical rankings, the Musketeers rank sixth the nation in digs per set (17.31 d/s). The Musketeers also rank 12th in team attacks per set (37.94 a/s).

• Abbey Bessler ranks second in the BIG EAST and 51st nationally in attacks per set (11.06 a/s). Meredith Klare ranks third in the conference in digs per set (4.57 d/s) and 79th nationally.

XU VOLLEYBALL PROGRAM

• The Musketeers posted a 19-12 overall record last year, the team's 17th straight year with a .500 or above record.

• Xavier has posted a 27-11 record in BIG EAST play since joining the conference in 2013. The Musketeers advanced to the conference tournament in both seasons.

• Xavier players have earned AVCA All-American honors eight times in the last 10 years. Aubree Smith earned the honors last season, while Abbey Bessler picked up the recognition in 2013.

RECORD WATCH: BESSLER

• Junior Abbey Bessler ranks eighth in career points at Xavier with 1,229.5. She also needs 209 more kills to enter the top-10 in career kills.

• Bessler is 108 digs away from becoming the 12th member of the 1,000 Kills-1,000 Digs Club. Sarah Brown (2010-13) was the last Xavier player to enter the club, finishing her career with 1,076 kills and 1,210 digs.

PRESEASON POLL

Xavier was selected to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll on Aug. 5 as voted on by the league's 10 head coaches. Creighton, the reigning BIG EAST Tournament and regular-season champions, was picked to win the conference as the Bluejays received 81 points and nine first-place votes.

BIG EAST PRESEASON TEAM

Abbey Bessler was one of five unanimous selections to the 12-member, non-positional preseason all-conference team. The outside hitter earned AVCA All-Regional Honorable Mention Team honors last season and was named to the All-BIG EAST First Team and All-BIG EAST Tournament Team.

Bessler ranked fifth in the BIG EAST in kills (420) last season and sixth in total points. The two-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection is one of four returning starters for the 2015 season.

FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH

Christy Pfeffenberger was named head coach on Jan. 29, 2015 after previously serving as the team's associate head coach. All told, she has spent five seasons on the bench as an either an assistant/associate head coach or head coach.

In five years on the Xavier bench, Pfeffenberger has helped the Musketeers post an 82-56 overall record with a 46-22 mark in conference play. XU has also had 12 players earn all-conference honors and two players earn AVCA All-American recognition.

UP NEXT

Xavier continues its four-game road swing at Villanova on Friday, Oct. 9. The Musketeers will wrap up the trip at Seton Hall on Saturday, Oct. 10.