Volleyball Travels to Puerto Rico Clásico

Friday, August 31

San Juan, Puerto Rico

5:30 p.m.

Xavier University

Missouri

08.28.18 | Volleyball

Live Stats Watch Live

Musketeers will take on Arizona State, Missouri and Towson during tournament play

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI – Xavier volleyball travels to San Juan, Puerto Rico on Aug. 31 - Sept. 2 for the Puerto Rico Clásico. The Musketeers will take on Missouri, Arizona State and Towson during tournament play.

TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Friday, Aug. 31
Missouri (H) vs Xavier (A) - 5:30 PM
Towson (H) vs Miami (A) - 8 PM

Saturday, Sept. 1
Arizona State (H) vs Towson (A) - 5:30 PM
Miami (H) vs Missouri (A) - 8 PM

Sunday, Sept. 2
Xavier (H) vs Arizona State (A) - 12 PM
Towson (H) vs Xavier (A) - 5:30 PM
Arizona State (H) vs Missouri (A) - 8 PM

THE MATCHUP VS MISSOURI

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-1) vs MISSOURI TIGERS (2-1)
Match Info - Friday, Aug. 31 - 5:30 p.m. ET - Coliseo Rubén Zayas Montañez de Trujillo Alto
Live Stats - bit.ly/2NuyojZ
Watch Live ($) - bit.ly/2Mw36gl

ABOUT MISSOURI

2018 Record: 2-1 (0-0 SEC)
2017 Postseason: NCAA Tournament - Sweet 16
Series History: Xavier trails, 2-1
Last Meeting: MU 3, XU 2 - 9/6/14

NOTABLES
• Missouri is off to a 2-1 start after competing at the James Madison Invitational. The Tigers picked up wins over Delaware State and Fairfield and lost to James Madison.
• Senior middle blocker Alyssa Munlyn earned AVCA Honorable Mention All-American Team honors in 2017, picking up the accolades for the third consecutive season. She paces the squad in total blocks (15) this season, while adding 2.10 k/s and a .476 hitting percentage.
• The Tigers posted a 22-12 (13-5 SEC) record last year, advancing to the NCAA Sweet 16 before being defeated by Penn State. It marked the second straight season the Tigers advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16.

THE MATCHUP VS ARIZONA ST

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (0-0) vs ARIZONA STATE SUN DEVILS (3-0)
Match Info - Sunday, Sept. 2 - 12 p.m. ET - Coliseo Rubén Zayas Montañez de Trujillo Alto
Live Stats - bit.ly/2BQZu3r
Watch Live ($) - bit.ly/2Mw36gl

ABOUT ARIZONA ST

2018 Record: 3-0 (0-0 Pac-12)
2017 Postseason: None
Series History: First Meeting
Last Meeting: N/A

NOTABLES
• Arizona State is 3-0 this season after winning the Sun Devil Classic in Tempe, Ariz. The Sun Devils only dropped two sets over the weekend, collecting wins over UT Arlington, New Mexico State and Pacific.
• Ivana Jeremic leads the team in kills as the junior outside hitter posted 4.55 k/s last weekend. Classmate Nicole Peterson posted 9.91 a/s, totaling 109 assists.
• The Sun Devils posted a 10-22 (0-20 Pac-12) record last season.

THE MATCHUP VS TOWSON

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-1) vs TOWSON TIGERS (1-2)
Match Info - Sunday, Sept. 2 - 5:30 p.m. ET - Coliseo Rubén Zayas Montañez de Trujillo Alto
Live Stats - bit.ly/2BQZu3r
Watch Live ($) - bit.ly/2Mw36gl

ABOUT TOWSON

2018 Record: 1-2 (0-0 CAA)
2017 Postseason: NIVC - Second Round
Series History: Xavier leads, 1-0
Last Meeting: XU 3, TU 1 - 9/1/96

NOTABLES
• Towson opened the 2018 season with a 1-2 mark at the Baltimore Bash. The Tigers defeated Siena during tournament action and lost to Radford and Loyola (Md.).
• Emily Jarome and Jocelyn Kuilan combined to average 5.42 k/s in the Tigers opening weekend. Kuilan, a senior right-side hitter, was named to the preseason All-CAA Team.
• The Tigers posted a 27-6 (12-4 CAA) record last year and advanced to the second round of the NIVC Tournament.

LAST WEEK IN REVIEW

• Xavier opened the 2018 season at the NIU Invitational on Aug. 24-25 in DeKalb, Ill. The Musketeers dropped their first match against Oklahoma before defeating the host Huskies to end tournament play.

ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAM

• Audrey Adams and Laura Grossman were named to the NIU Invitational All-Tournament Team. Grossman led the Musketeers in kills (4.43 k/s), while adding 15 digs, five blocks and two aces. The senior outside hitter also posted a .385 hitting percentage.

• Adams collected 18 kills and five blocks over two matches. The sophomore middle blocker also posted a .484 hitting percentage.

BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• Laura Grossman was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon for her on-court performance at the NIU Invitational. She earns BIG EAST weekly honors for the first time in her career.

FIRST SERVE

• Xavier will play its first eight matches on the road. The Musketeers also travel to the Puerto Rico Tournament on Aug. 31-Sept. 2 and the Purdue Tournament on Sept. 7-8.

• The Musketeers will host their own tournament at Cintas Center on Sept. 14-15. Xavier takes on 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.

KLARE - RECORD WATCH

• Senior Meredith Klare has 1,511 career digs to rank fourth all-time in program history. The libero is 100 digs away from moving into third place all-time.

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

NOTABLES

• Senior Meredith Klare led the team and BIG EAST in digs per set (4.37) last year. The libero also finished the year ranked 88th nationally in total digs.

• Xavier also returns senior Laura Grossman who paced the team in total kills (233) last season. The outside hitter added 94 digs, 10 aces and 46 blocks.

• The Musketeers also return two of their top three setters in senior McKena Estes and sophomore Nadia Dieudonne. Estes averaged 4.61 assists per set, while Dieudonne posted 4.50 assists per set.

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 opens 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 59-29 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

• The Musketeers return to action at the Stacey Clark Classic on Sept. 7-8 in West Lafayette, Ind. Xavier takes on Purdue, Louisville and Lipscomb during tournament play.