Volleyball Continues BIG EAST Road Swing at Butler

Saturday, October 13

Indianapolis, Ind.

2 p.m.

Xavier University

Butler

Volleyball Continues BIG EAST Road Swing at Butler

10.12.18 | Volleyball

Live Stats Live Video

First serve is slated for 2 p.m. from Hinkle Fieldhouse

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball continues its BIG EAST road swing on Saturday, Oct. 13 at Butler. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. from historic Hinkle Fieldhouse.

THE MATCHUP VS DEPAUL

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (5-14, 3-4) at BUTLER BULLDOGS (6-14, 3-5)
Match Info - Saturday, Oct. 13 - 2 p.m. ET - Hinkle Fieldhouse
Live Video - bit.ly/2pKmsAB
Live Stats - bit.ly/2ym8clx

ABOUT BUTLER

2018 Record: 6-14 (3-5 BIG EAST)
2017 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier leads, 17-14
Last Meeting: BU 3, XU 0 - 11/3/17

NOTABLES
• Butler was picked to finish third in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll after posting a 23-8 (13-5 BIG EAST) record last year. Senior middle blocker Bri Lilly was named to the preseason all-conference team.
• The Bulldogs are 1-3 in their last four matches and are coming off a three set loss at No. 19 Marquette on Wednesday. Butler is also 5-5 at Hinkle Fieldhouse this season.
• Butler leads the conference in blocks (2.88 b/s). Senior Bri Lilly leads the BIG EAST in the category, averaging 1.43 blocks per set.

SERIES HISTORY - BUTLER

• Xavier leads the all-time series, 17-14. The Musketeers are 2-2 in their last four matches against the Bulldogs.

• Audrey Adams led the team in kills (12) against the Bulldogs last season, while posting a .409 hitting percentage. Morgan Finn added nine kills and Meredith Klare posted 14 digs.

LAST TIME OUT

• The Musketeers are coming off a four-set loss at DePaul on Wednesday night. Xavier posted a season-high 10 aces, the most by a Xavier team since Oct. 10, 2015 against Seton Hall (10 aces). Sophomore Audrey Adams led the team with four, while senior Meredith Klareadded two.

• Senior Laura Grossman led the Musketeers with 13 kills. Classmate Morgan Finn added 10 kills and sophomore Audrey Adams chipped in eight.

• Xavier had seven more total team blocks (11-4) than DePaul. Senior Audrey Adams and freshman Mackenzie Mangette led the Musketeers with six each.

• Senior Meredith Klare led the Musketeers in digs (11), while junior Madi Kutruff posted 10. Sophomore Nadia Dieudonne recorded a match-high 23 assists and senior McKena Estes had 15 assists.

KLARE - WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• Senior Meredith Klare was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday. She led the Musketeers in digs (56), averaging 7.00 digs per set. Klare added 12 assists and one ace.

• In the five set win over Villanova on Friday, Klare recorded 40 digs - the third most in school history. The 40 digs also rank fourth in the NCAA this season.

NOTABLE PERFORMANCES

• Freshman Jayda Carlton posted a match-high 12 blocks against St. John's, tying the school record for single-match blocks. Alexis Newsome posted 12 blocks against St. John's last season on Oct. 7. The 12 blocks are also the most by a BIG EAST player this season, while ranking 10th in the NCAA.

• Xavier posted 11 more total team blocks (21-10) than the Red Storm. The 21 total team blocks are the second-most by a BIG EAST team this season, while ranking seventh in the NCAA.

• Freshman Mackenzie Mangette had five aces in the four-set win at Seton Hall. The five aces rank tied for second in single-match aces in the BIG EAST this season.

KLARE - RECORD WATCH

• Senior Meredith Klare has 1,766 career digs to rank second all-time in program history. Stephanie Vorherr (2009-12) holds the program record with 2,152 digs.

• The Union, Ky., native posted 520 digs a year ago, the fourth most in single-season school history.

NOTABLES

• Senior Meredith Klare leads the team in digs (4.25 d/s) this season. The libero led the BIG EAST in digs per set (4.37) last year and finished the year ranked 88th nationally in total digs.

• Freshman Jayda Carlton leads the Musketeers in blocks with 69. The middle blocker is averaging 1.19 blocks per set to rank third in the BIG EAST. In conference only matches, she is averaging 1.62 digs per set to lead the BIG EAST.

• Audrey Adams leads the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.386). She also ranks second on the team in kills (2.29 k/s).

FIRST SERVE

• Xavier played its first eight matches on the road. The Musketeers traveled to the Puerto Rico Clásico on Aug. 31-Sept. 2 and the Purdue Tournament on Sept. 7-8.

• The Musketeers hosted their own tournament at Cintas Center on Sept. 14-15. Xavier faced Indiana, Eastern Kentucky and crosstown rival Cincinnati during tournament action.

• Xavier will only play one non-conference match outside of tournament action. The Musketeers play host to rival Dayton on Monday, Nov. 5 at Cintas Center.

OPPONENT BREAKDOWN

• Xavier will play three teams that finished the year ranked in the AVCA Coaches' Poll: No. 16 Creighton, No. 18 Purdue and No. 20 Missouri.

• The Musketeers take on five teams that participated in the 2017 NCAA Tournament (Missouri, Purdue, Louisville, Creighton and Marquette). Twelve of the Musketeers 21 opponents posted a winning record last year.

• The Musketeers' 21 opponents combined to post a 351-292 last season with a .546 winning percentage. Xavier's opponents averaged 16.7 wins a year ago.

• Xavier will face teams from 11 different conferences this year, including teams from the Big Ten, ACC, PAC-12 and Big 12.

• The Musketeers will face three teams for the first time in program history this fall: Oklahoma, Arizona State and Indiana. The meetings with Northern Illinois and Towson will only be the second meetings in school history.

ABOUT THE TEAM

• Xavier graduated five seniors in Lauren Frilling, Samantha Foti, Kristen Massa, Alexis Newsome and Mackenzi Humm.

• The Musketeers return nine letterwinners from last year, including six upperclassmen. Xavier will have five seniors on the team this fall.

• Xavier added six newcomers to the 2018 roster in Jayda Carlton, Ellie Chaffee, Kelly Franxman, Mackenzie Mangette, Norah Painter and Ryan Shannon.

• Xavier players have earned AVCA All-American honors nine times in the last 13 years. Abbey Bessler most recently earned AVCA All-American honorable mention team honors in 2016.

BIG EAST NOTES

• Xavier opened BIG EAST play on Sept. 21 at St. John's. Seven of Xavier's first 11 conference matches are on the road.

• Xavier has posted a 62-34 record in BIG EAST play since joining the conference in 2013. The Musketeers have advanced to the conference tournament in three of their four seasons in the BIG EAST.

• Creighton will host the 2018 BIG EAST Tournament after being held at Marquette in 2017.

NEW ASSISTANT COACHES

• Xavier added two new assistant coaches during the offseason in Katie Meyer and Ali Butcher. Meyer was named an assistant coach in January of 2018 after spending three seasons as an assistant coach at Ursuline College.

• Butcher was named a volunteer assistant coach in August of 2018. She previously worked at Elevation Volleyball Club for two years, serving as an assistant to the club directors while also working as a club coach.

PRESEASON POLL

• The Musketeers were picked to finish tied for sixth in the preseason BIG EAST Coaches' Poll. Xavier was tied with St. John's in sixth place, while Marquette was picked to win the conference title.

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Thursday, Oct. 18 at Creighton. First serve is slated for 8 p.m. ET.