Bessler, Massa Lead Musketeers to Season Opening Victory

Friday, August 28

Cincinnati, Ohio

7 P.M.

Xavier University

1-0

Northern Kentucky

0-2

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Northern Kentucky	22	22	8	0
Xavier	25	25	25	3

Bessler, Massa Lead Musketeers to Season Opening Victory

08.28.15 | Volleyball

Box Score

Xavier defeats Northern Kentucky, 3-0, at Cintas Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Abbey Bessler and Kristen Massa combined for 24 kills on Friday night as the Musketeers picked up a 3-0 win over Northern Kentucky in the opening match of the Queen City Classic at Cintas Center. The win also marked the first head coaching victory for first-year head coach Christy Pfeffenberger.

Bessler and Massa had 12 kills each, with Massa posting a game-high .526 attacking percentage. Bessler added a .385 hitting percentage and was one dig shy of a double-double.

As a team, the Musketeers (1-0) recorded a .309 hitting percentage, while limiting the Norse (0-2) to a .106 attack percentage. Xavier had five more (8-3) service aces in the match, paced by McKena Estes and Mackenzi Humm who both had three.

Xavier took the first two sets, 25-22, with neither team leading by more than four points in either set. The Musketeers led 24-22 in the opening frame before a Bessler kill gave XU the win.

Xavier trailed 22-20 in the second stanza before scoring five unanswered points capped by back-to-back kills by Humm and Sofia Peterson to end the frame. The Musketeers opened the third frame on a 6-0 and rode a .379 hitting percentage to a 25-8 victory.

Humm paced the Musketeers with 18 assists, while Estes added 13. Defensively, Meredith Klare had a game-high 13 digs while Peterson added three block assists.

Northern Kentucky's Taylor Snyder posted a game-high 24 assists, while Keely Creamer and Jayden Julian both posted a team-high nine kills.

The Musketeers return to action on Saturday, Aug. 29 with two matches in the Queen City Classic. XU faces Eastern Michigan at noon at Cintas Center before traveling to crosstown rival Cincinnati for a 6 p.m. match.