Musketeers Down Eagles in Four Sets, Move to 2-0

Saturday, August 29

Cincinnati, Ohio

12 P.M.

Xavier University

2-0

Eastern Michigan

2-1

Eastern Michigan

Xavier

Musketeers Down Eagles in Four Sets, Move to 2-0

08.29.15 | Volleyball

Box Score

Abbey Bessler posted her 36th career double-double in the win

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Abbey Bessler recorded her 36th career double-double on Saturday afternoon at Cintas Center, leading the Musketeers to a 3-1 (25-22, 33-31, 20-25, 25-17) win over Eastern Michigan in the Queen City Classic.

Xavier moves to 2-0 on the year and will travel to crosstown rival Cincinnati tonight for a 6 p.m. match to conclude tournament action. The Bearcats are 1-1 on the year and are coming off a 3-0 win over Northern Kentucky this afternoon.

Bessler posted a game-high 23 kills to go along with 20 digs. Lauren Frilling and Sofia Peterson both added 12 kills in the win to round out three Musketeers with double-figure kills. Frilling also recorded a game-high .455 hitting percentage.

Mackenzi Humm also recorded a double-double, dishing out a game-high 29 assists to go with 15 digs. McKena Estes posted 25 assists and added eight digs.

Defensively, Frilling assisted in six blocks as the Musketeers had two more blocks than (9-7) than the Eagles. Samantha Foti also led XU with a career-high 28 digs.

The first set was back-and-forth with neither team leading by more than three points throughout the frame. Xavier led 23-22 late in the set before a kill by Bessler and an EMU attacking error ended the set, 25-22. Bessler had 10 of her 23 kills in the opening stanza.

Set two saw the Musketeers trail 24-21 before back-to-back kills and a service ace by Meredith Klare knotted the match at 24. Tied at 31, Bessler broke the final tie of the set with a kill before an EMU attacking error gave the Musketeers the set, 33-31.

EMU rallied from the 2-0 deficit to capture the third frame, 25-20. The Eagles took advantage of 12 XU errors to win the set.

Xavier won the fourth frame, 25-17, behind a .357 hitting percentage – its highest percentage of the day. Frilling recorded five of kills in the closing set.

Stacey Perinar led the Eagles with 22 kills, while Corynne Smith had a game-high 30 digs.