Musketeers Meet Villanova in BIG EAST Semifinals

Friday, November 27

Omaha, Neb.

4:30 p.m.

Xavier University

No. 2 Villanova

Buy Tickets

Musketeers Meet Villanova in BIG EAST Semifinals

11.26.15 | Volleyball

Friday’s match is slated for 4 pm. ET

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball is slated to meet Villanova in the BIG EAST Semifinals on Friday, Nov. 27. First serve is slated for 4 p.m. ET from D.J. Sokol Arena in Omaha, Neb.

Both semifinal matches will be aired on the BIG EAST Digital Network. The finals will be carried nationally on FOX Sports 2.

Xavier is 18-11 on the year and finished BIG EAST play with a 14-4 mark to earn the No. 3 seed in the tournament. The Musketeers enter the match having won eight of their last nine matches.

Villanova is 24-7 this season and finished BIG EAST play with a 14-4 mark to earn the No. 2 seed in the tournament. The Wildcats have won five of their last seven matches, including three straight.

THE TOURNAMENT

Nov. 27 - No. 4 Marquette vs No. 1 Creighton - 1:30 p.m. ET
Nov. 27 - No. 3 Xavier vs No. 2 Villanova - 4 p.m. ET
Nov. 28 - Championship match - 2 p.m. ET

BIG EAST TOURNAMENT HISTORY

• Xavier is 0-2 all-time in BIG EAST Tournament play. The Musketeers were defeated in four sets in the semifinals the last two seasons by Creighton.

CHAMPIONSHIP HISTORY

• The Musketeers have won two conference titles, coming in 1984 (North Star Conference) and 2001 (Atlantic 10). Xavier looks to advance to the NCAA Tournament this weekend for the third time in school history (2001, 2007).

SERIES HISTORY: VILLANOVA

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Villanova, 5-1. The two schools split the series this season with the Wildcats winning the first meeting on Oct. 9 in four sets (18-25, 19-25, 25-21, 20-25) and the Musketeers winning the second meeting on Nov. 7 in five sets (23-25, 25-20, 25-20, 23-25, 15-10).

LAST TIME OUT: VILLANOVA

• Sofia Peterson led Xavier with 2.78 k/s in the two meetings this year, while Kristen Massa added 2.56 k/s. Xavier hit .215 in the series and had 14 total blocks.

• Brooke Betts hit .591 against Villanova this year and had 15 kills. Lauren Frilling added 15 kills and a team-high nine blocks.

PLAYER OF THE YEAR

• Junior Abbey Bessler was named BIG EAST Player of the Year on Tuesday as voted on by conference head coaches.

• Bessler becomes the 13th Musketeer to earn 'Player of the Year' honors at Xavier and the first to be tabbed BIG EAST Player of the Year since Xavier joined the conference in 2013. She is the first all-conference individual award winner since Stephanie Vorherr (Libero of the Year) and Aubree Smith (Rookie of the Year) earned Atlantic 10 honors in 2011.

• Bessler, a three-time All-BIG EAST First Team selection, ranks third in the conference in points (4.59 p/s) during BIG EAST play. The Hebron, Ky., native also ranks third in kills (4.11 k/s) and eighth in digs (3.50 d/s).

• Bessler was named BIG EAST Player of the Week twice this season and collected weekly honor roll honors seven times. She has 16 double-doubles on the year and has recorded 20 or more kills in match six times.

• Bessler also set the school record with 33 kills in a five-set win over St. John's on Sept. 26. The 33 kills ranks seventh nationally in five-set matches.

ALL-BIG EAST HONORS

• Kristen Massa and Sofia Peterson both earned All-BIG EAST honors on Tuesday afternoon with Massa earning first-team honors and Peterson picking up second-team recognition. Both players earn all-conference honors for the first time in their careers.

• Massa ranks second on the team in kills (2.71 k/s) and fourth in blocks (0.46 b/s). In BIG EAST only action, she ranks 14th in kills (2.67 k/s) and hitting percentage (.261). The Cincinnati, Ohio, native hit .762 in a win over Georgetown on Oct. 16, the third highest percentage nationally in a match this season. She finished with 16 kills in 21 attempts.

• Peterson ranks third on the team in kills (2.41 k/s) and second in blocks (0.53 b/s). The Melbourne, Fla., native ranks ninth in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.285) in conference only play. The right-side hitter earned BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll honors on Nov. 10.

NOTABLES

• The Musketeers are 8-1 in their last nine matches. XU hit .234 in those contests and posted 25 more blocks (82-56.5) than their opponents.

• Brooke Betts has led the team with 30 blocks in the squad's last nine matches. Offensively, she has added 44 kills and a .337 hitting percentage.

• In BIG EAST action this season, the Musketeers ranked second in hitting percentage (.255), assists (12.47 a/s) and kills (14.26 k/s).

• Meredith Klare averaged 3.51 d/s in BIG EAST play, ranking seventh in the conference. The freshman libero has 451 digs this season to rank 10th in single-season school history.

NCAA STAT RANKINGS

• In the most recent release of the NCAA statistical rankings, the Musketeers rank 72nd in the nation in digs per set (15.97 d/s). The Musketeers also rank 46th in team attacks per set (37.03 a/s).

• Abbey Bessler ranks third in the BIG EAST and 67th nationally in attacks per set (10.79 a/s). She also ranks 66th nationally in total kills (422) and 72nd in points (474.5).

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 38-14 record in BIG EAST play since joining the conference in 2013. The Musketeers have advanced to the conference tournament in all three 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 third in career points at Xavier with 1,475. She also ranks 10th in career kills with 1,296.

• Bessler became the 12th member of the XU 1,000 Kills-1,000 Digs Club in the win at Providence on Oct. 31. She now has 1,296 kills and 1,094 digs.

FIRST-YEAR HEAD COACH

• 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 a 93-60 overall record with a 57-25 mark in conference play. XU has also had 12 players earn all-conference honors and two players earn AVCA All-American recognition.