Musketeers Travel to Aloft Seminole Invitational

Friday, September 11

Tallahassee, Fla.

7 P.M.

Xavier University

Florida A&M

Musketeers Travel to Aloft Seminole Invitational

09.10.15 | Volleyball

Xavier will face Florida A&M, Coastal Carolina and No. 19 Florida State

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier volleyball hits the road for the second consecutive weekend, traveling to the Aloft Seminole Classic on Sept. 11-12. The Musketeers take on Florida A&M, Coastal Carolina and host No. 19 Florida State.

The Musketeers enter the weekend with a 2-4 overall record after posting a 0-3 mark at the Bobcat Invitational. Xavier's three opponents at the tournament last weekend have combined to go 12-7 on the year, including Michigan who is now 6-0 and ranked 24th in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll.

Xavier's schedule does not get any easier as two of its next four opponents are ranked in the top 25 in No. 19 Florida State and No. 21 Kentucky.

Xavier will play two matches at Florida State, the tournament opener versus Florida A&M on Friday night and Saturday's closing match against the Seminoles. The Musketeers take on Coastal Carolina at 1 p.m. on Saturday on Florida A&M's campus due the Seminole football hosting a game at 11:30 a.m.

THE SCHEDULE

Friday, Sept. 11 vs Florida A&M at 7 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12 vs Coastal Carolina at 1 p.m.
Saturday, Sept. 12 at No. 19 Florida State at 7 p.m.

NCAA STAT LEADERS

In the first release of the NCAA statistical rankings, the Musketeers lead the nation in digs per set (20.38 d/s). The Musketeers also rank first in team attacks per set (41.50 a/s)

KLARE RANKS 15th IN DIGS PER SET

Meredith Klare ranks 15th in the nation in digs per set (5.5 d/s). The redshirt-freshman has totaled 132 digs in her first year of action with the Musketeers.

MASSA EARNS ALL-TOURNY HONORS

Kristen Massa was named to the Bobcat All-Tournament Team last weekend. The sophomore outside averaged 2.77 k/s, totaling 36 kills, while adding five digs and three blocks. She posted a career-high 17 kills in a five-set loss to Ohio on Sept. 4.

SCOUTING FLORIDA A&M

The Rattlers are 0-7 this season, most recently dropping three matches at the Arizona Invitational on Sept. 4-5. Sophomore outside hitter Pamela Soriano and freshman libero Valentina Carrasco were both tabbed to the all-tournament team.

SERIES HISTORY: FLORIDA A&M

The Musketeers are 0-2 all-time versus the Rattlers. Florida A&M won the last meeting, 3-0, on Nov. 27, 2004 at the American Riviera Classic. Florida A&M was ranked 22nd in the country at the time.

SCOUTING COASTAL CAROLINA

The Chanticleers are 4-0 this season, most recently defeating The Citadel, 3-0, on Aug. 29 at the Marriott Atlanta Midtown Invitational. Eszter Nagy ranks sixth nationally in hitting percentage (.493), while the team ranks ninth (.298).

SERIES HISTORY: COASTAL CAROLINA

The Musketeers are 3-0 all-time against the Chanticleers. Xavier won the last meeting in five sets on Aug. 25, 2012 at the Big Orange Bash in Clemson, S.C.

SCOUTING FLORIDA STATE

The Seminoles are 3-3 on the year, most recently falling at No. 22 Ohio state in four sets on Sept. 6. Nicole Walch leads the team with 3.65 k/s, while Hailey Luke has added a team-high 5.58 a/s.

SERIES HISTORY: FLORIDA STATE

The Musketeers are 0-1 all-time against Florida State. The Seminoles won the lone meeting in three sets on Sept. 28, 1985 at the Memphis State Tournament.

THE 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 finished fourth in the BIG EAST standings a year ago with a 12-6 mark to move their conference record to 24-10 since joining the league in 2013.
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: ABBEY BESSLER

Junior Abbey Bessler is close to cracking the top-10 career charts at Xavier. She needs 3.5 more points to enter the career total points chart and 338 kills to enter the top-10 in career kills.

BIG EAST 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.

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 a 77-53 overall record with a 43-21 mark in conference play. XU has also had 12 players earn all-conference honors and two players earn AVCA All-American recognition.

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.

UP NEXT

The Musketeers return to action on Sept. 18 against No. 21 Kentucky. The match is slated for 6 p.m. from Cintas Center.