Volleyball’s Upset Bid Against No. 4 Kansas Falls Short in Five Sets

Friday, September 16

West Lafayette, Ind.

12 p.m.

Xavier University

5-6

No. 4 Kansas

10-0

Xavier

Kansas

Volleyball’s Upset Bid Against No. 4 Kansas Falls Short in Five Sets

09.16.16 | Volleyball

Box Score Box Score (PDF)Season Stats (PDF)

Xavier had four players with 11 or more kills in the loss

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Xavier volleyball's upset bid over unbeaten No. 4 Kansas fell short in five sets (15-25, 25-20, 25-23, 23-25, 5-15) on Friday afternoon at Holloway Gym. The Jayhawks (10-0) are the highest ranked team the Musketeers (5-6) have ever faced in program history.

Xavier returns to action at 5 p.m. against Southeastern Louisiana in its second match of the Stacey Clark Classic. The two-day tournament is being hosted by Purdue in West Lafayette, Ind.

MATCH NOTES

• Abbey Bessler led Xavier with 15 kills and 12 digs as the outside hitter recorded her sixth double-double of the season. She also added two block assists.

• Xavier had seven more total team blocks (12-5) than the Jayhawks, the third time the Musketeers have had 10 or more blocks in a match this season. Brooke Betts led Xavier with seven (2 BS, 5 BA), while Sofia Peterson added six block assists. Alexis Newsome chipped in five block assists.

• Juniors Lauren Frilling and Kristen Massa both added 12 kills, while Sofia Peterson added 11 and a .348 hitting percentage. Xavier had four players with 10 or more kills in a match for the first time this season.

• Mackenzi Humm and McKena Estes both led Xavier in assists with 23. Meredith Klare also had a team-high 12 digs.

SET ONE

• Xavier jumped out to an early 7-3 lead before Kansas responded with an 8-4 run to tie the match at 11. The set was tied two more times before the Jayhawks pulled away for a 25-15 victory.

• Abbey Bessler had three kills and four digs in the opening frame. Sofia Peterson added three kills in three attempts.

SET TWO

• Xavier led from start to finish in the second set. The Musketeers hit .455 and got three or more kills from five different players – led by Kristen Massa who had four.

• Xavier led by as many as seven, 18-11, before evening the match with a 25-20 win.

SET THREE

• The third set featured 11 ties and eight lead changes. Tied at 23, the Musketeers got a kill from Abbey Bessler followed by a service ace from Mackenzi Humm to put Xavier up, 2-1.

• Abbey Bessler paced Xavier with seven kills in the set, while Lauren Frilling added four.

SET FOUR

• Xavier opened the set with a 9-4 run to force a Kansas timeout. Xavier led 16-15 midway through the set before the Jayhawks scored four of the next five points to force a Xavier timeout. Kansas would win the set, 25-23.

SET FIVE

• Kansas opened the set by scoring six straight points before posting the 15-5 set victory.