Volleyball Slated for Midweek Match at Miami (OH)

Tuesday, September 6

Oxford, Ohio

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Miami (Ohio)

Volleyball Slated for Midweek Match at Miami (OH)

09.05.16 | Volleyball

Live Stats Watch Live - ESPN3

Musketeers travel to Oxford on Tuesday, Sept. 6

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball takes a break from tournament play for a midweek matchup at Miami (OH) on Sept. 6. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. from Millett Hall.

Tuesday's match will be Miami's first home match of the year. The RedHawks are 2-4 on the year and are coming off a five-set win at Missouri. The Musketeers are 3-3 overall, most recently defeating Northwestern at the Dayton Invitational.

THE MATCHUP

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (3-3) at MIAMI REDHAWKS (2-4)
Match Info: Tuesday, Sept. 6 – 7 p.m. – Millett Hall
Live Stats: http://bit.ly/2c0kMd6
Live Video: http://es.pn/2ciaCXM

ABOUT MIAMI

2015 Record: 21-10 (12-4 MAC)
Postseason: None
• Xavier is 3-17 all-time against Miami. The Musketeers have won two straight in the series, most recently a 3-0 win on Sept. 10, 2013 at Cintas Center.

• The RedHawks posted a 21-10 (12-4 MAC) record last year and return six starters plus their libero. Miami was tabbed to win the 2016 MAC Title in the preseason coaches' poll, while Paige Hill was named to the preseason all-conference team.

• Both teams have played one common opponent this season, the Dayton Flyers. Xavier and Miami both lost four-set matches against Dayton.

• Katie Tomasic leads the RedHawk offense with 57 total kills to go along with a .300 hitting percentage. She also ranks second on the team in blocks (16).

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• Lauren Frilling was named to the Dayton Invitational All-Tournament Team after averaging 2.00 k/s with a .353 hitting percentage over the weekend. The junior middle blocker added four blocks over nine sets of action.

• Frilling had a season-high nine kills against Chattanooga on Saturday, while adding a .400 attack percentage. The Columbus, Ohio, native has 63 kills and 10 total blocks on the year to go along with a .349 hitting percentage.

DAYTON INVITE NOTES

• Abbey Bessler led Xavier with 52 total kills over the weekend, averaging 4.73 k/s. The senior added a .256 hitting percentage and 20 digs.

• Defensively, Alexis Newsome led Xavier with 15 total blocks – averaging 1.36 b/s. Meredith Klare added a team-high 48 digs.

• Sofia Peterson hit .379 and averaged 2.55 k/s. Kristen Massa and Lauren Frilling combined to add 42 kills over the weekend.

CAREER RECORD WATCH: BESSLER

• Abbey Bessler ranks fifth all-time at Xavier in kills (1,418), second in attack attempts (4,112) and third in total points (1,606). She is currently 35 digs away from cracking into the top-10 list for digs.

THE SCHEDULE

• Xavier plays its first 13 matches on the road, with 12 matches played in a tournament.

• Xavier faces eight teams that participated in the 2015 NCAA Tournament, including a Kansas squad that advanced to the Final Four. Fifteen of the Musketeers 22 opponents posted a winning record last year.

• The Musketeers' 22 opponents combined to post a 401-295 record last season with a .576 winning percentage. Xavier's opponents averaged 18 wins per game a year ago.

• Xavier will face teams from seven different conferences this year, including three Big Ten foes and two SEC squads.

• Xavier will face three teams for the first time in program history this fall: Missouri State, Northwestern and Southeastern Louisiana.

PRSEASON POLL

• The Musketeers were picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Poll as announced by the conference office on Aug. 3. The preseason poll and All-BIG EAST selections were voted on by the conference's 10 head coaches.

PRESEASON ALL-BIG EAST

• Three Musketeers were selected to the All-BIG EAST Preseason Team in Abbey Bessler, Kristen Massa and Sofia Peterson. Xavier and Creighton were the only two teams with three players each on the preseason team.

PROGRAM HIGHLIGHTS

• The Musketeers posted an 18-12 overall record last year, the team's 18th 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 11 years. Aubree Smith earned the honors last season, while Abbey Bessler picked up the recognition in 2013.

UP NEXT

• Xavier travels to the Western Michigan Tournament on Sept. 9-10. The Musketeers open tournament play on Friday at noon against Milwaukee.