Volleyball Welcomes No.10 Marquette to Cintas Center on Wednesday

Wednesday, October 2

Cincinnati, Ohio

12 p.m.

Xavier University

Marquette

Volleyball Welcomes No.10 Marquette to Cintas Center on Wednesday

10.01.19 | Volleyball

Xavier to hold BIG EAST home opener, first serve at noon

By: By Mark Leopold, Xavier Athletics Communications

CINCINNATI, Ohio – Volleyball will host No. 10 Marquette on Wednesday in their first home BIG EAST match of 2019. First serve is scheduled for 12:00 pm ET from Cintas Center. Xavier is coming off of a tight 5-set victory over DePaul that opened conference play (25-23, 22-25, 20-25, 25-23, 16-14).

THE MATCHUP VS MARQUETTE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-7) vs Marquette Golden Eagles (13-2)
Match Info - Wednesday, Oct. 2 - 12:00 p.m. ET - Cintas Center
Watch - http://bit.ly/XUHomeStream
Live Stats - http://bit.ly/XUHomeStats

ABOUT MARQUETTE

2019 Record: 13-2 (3-0 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: NCAA Tournament Third Round
Series History: Xavier trails 9-13
Last Meeting : MU 3, XU 0 - 11/11/2018

MARQUETTE AT A GLANCE
• Marquette began the season ranked 16th nationally, and currently sit 10th after a 13-2 start to the season. The only blemishes thus far are to the only two ranked opponents they've faced: No. 17 Baylor and No. 14 Illinois. The Golden Eagles enter Wednesday's game on a seven-match winning streak, having won 18 of the last 20 sets they've played. Additionally, they have posted a 3-0 record on the road this year, but this is their first BIG EAST road match.
• Marquette has a wealth of talent, as conference coaches voted three Golden Eagles to the Preseason All-BIG EAST team. Allie Barber was the unanimous Preseason Player of the Year, while while juniors Martha Konovodoff and Hope Werch were also selected
• DePaul was picked to finish First (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll as well.
• Ryan Theis enters his sixth season as head coach of Marquette. Last season, Theis set a new career-high and program-record by leading the Golden Eagles to a 28-win season. In 2017, Theis and his assistants were awarded the BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year.

FIRST SERVE

• Xavier enters this weekend with a 4-7 record after picking up two four-set victories at the Utah State Tournament, beating the host and Eastern Michigan after falling to Southern Utah in their regular-season opener. At home, they knocked off William & Mary in between losses to Akron and eventual tournament champions Wright State. They started BIG EAST play with a five-set victory at DePaul.

• Two Musketeers won awards on the first weekend of action, as Lauren Hanlon and Ellie Chaffee were name to the All-Tournament team. Additionally, Hanlon was named the BIG EAST Freshman of the Week. In Week two, Moriah Hopkins was named to the All-Tournament team and Jayda Carlton was listed on the BIG EAST Honor Roll. The following week, Lauren Hanlon was named to the All-Tournament Team following her 24-kill performances in two matches at the LUV Invitational.

• After Wednesday, Xavier will travel to Villanova on October 4 and Georgetown on October 5 to continue their road to the BIG EAST Tournament in late November.

2019 OPPONENT BREAKDOWN

• Xavier will play two teams that finished the year ranked in the AVCA Coaches' Poll: No. 13 Creighton and No. 15 Marquette.

• The Musketeers take on five teams that participated in the 2018 NCAA Tournament (Eastern Michigan, Louisville, Cincinnati, Marquette and Creighton). Twelve of the Musketeers 20 opponents posted a winning record last year.

• The Musketeers' 20 opponents combined to post a 311-294 last season with a .514 winning percentage.

• Xavier will face teams from nine different conferences this year, including a team from the ACC.

• The Musketeers faced three teams for the first time in program history this fall: Utah State, Southern Utah and William & Mary.

2019 TEAM LEADERS

• Freshman Alyssa Overbeck and MaryAnn O'Toole lead the team in digs so far this season with a combined 237 digs of the team's 429.

• Sophomore Jayda Carlton is the Musketeers' block leader, as she's tallied 32 blocks (1.07 block per set) in eight matches, ranking third in the BIG EAST. She also has three of Xavier's five solo blocks.

• While kills are evenly dispersed throughout Xavier's balanced attack, Redshirt Freshman Lauren Hanlon leads the way with 89 put-aways (3.07 kills per set). Behind her, Moriah Hopkins and Norah Painter chip in with 74 kills and 70 kills respectively.

BIG EAST NOTES

• Xavier opened BIG EAST play on Sept. 25 at DePaul and won a tight five-set match. The Musketeers close conference action at Butler on Nov. 23.

• Xavier has posted a 67-39 record in BIG EAST play since joining the conference in 2013. The Musketeers have advanced to the conference tournament in three of their five seasons in the BIG EAST.

• Marquette will host the 2019 BIG EAST Tournament after it was held at Creighton a year ago.

ABOUT THE TEAM

• Xavier graduated five seniors in Morgan Finn, Meredith Klare, Laura Grossman, Olivia Hart and McKena Estes.

• The Musketeers return eighth letterwinners from last year, including two upperclassmen. Xavier will have one senior on the team this fall.

• Xavier added five newcomers to the 2019 roster in MaryAnn O'Toole, Carrigan O'Reilly, Alyssa Overbeck, Ailsa Watson and Hayley Heitmeyer.

• Xavier returns freshman outside hitter Norah Painter who ranked fourth on the team in total kills (178) last season. The Musketeers also return its leader in total blocks (107) in Jayda Carlton.

UP NEXT

• After Wednesday, Xavier will travel to Villanova on October 4 and Georgetown on October 5 to continue their road to the BIG EAST Tournament.