Friday, October 4
Villanova, Pa.
6 pm.
Xavier University
at
Villanova
Volleyball Travels East to Take On Villanova and Georgetown
10.03.19 | Volleyball
Xavier to play back-to-back BIG EAST matches on Friday and Saturday
CINCINNATI, Ohio – Xavier prepares for a road trip this weekend, as they travel to Villanova on Friday, October 4, followed by a match at Georgetown on Saturday, October 5. The matches are scheduled to start at 6:00 pm ET and 3:00 pm ET respectively, and all three teams enter the weekend 1-1 in BIG EAST play.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-8) vs VILLANOVA WILDCATS (10-3)
Match Info - Friday, Oct. 4 - 6:00 p.m. ET - Jake Nevin Field House
Watch - TBD
Live Stats - TBD
2019 Record: 10-3 (1-1 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: BIG EAST Tournament First Round
Series History: Xavier leads 8-5
Last Meeting : VU 3, XU 0 - 11/17/2018
VILLANOVA AT A GLANCE
• Villanova's season began with an impressive 10-2 non-conference record. The only two losses came against the only two Power 5 opponents the Wildcats faced, TCU and USC. Villanova began BIG EAST play with a trip to Omaha, Nebraska, to play Creighton. The match was fairly easy for the Jays, as Villanova failed to reach 20 in each set. However, they bounced back in Providence, Rhode Island, as the Wildcats came away with a four-set victory over the Friars.
• For Villanova, the key to their attack has been efficiency. While their kill leader averages under three kills per set, the top four attackers all have an average hitting percentage of .322. For comparison, Xavier's top four attackers combine for a hitting percentage of .203, though they have 29 more kills than the Wildcats' top four.
• Villanova was picked to finish fourth (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently sit third with a 1-1 conference record.
• The Wildcats are led by 13-year head coach John Steinbach. During his tenure, he has accumulated 201 wins, the most by any coach in Villanova volleyball history. In 2015, Steinbach was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year following a 25-9 season and the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-8) vs GEORGETOWN HOYAS (11-5)
Match Info - Saturday, Oct. 5 - 3:00 p.m. ET - McDonough Arena
Watch - http://guhoyas.com/showcase?Live=135
Live Stats - http://statb.us/b/265602
2019 Record: 11-5 (1-1 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier leads 12-2
Last Meeting : GU 3, XU 0 - 11/16/2018
GEORGETOWN AT A GLANCE
• Following a rough Bulldog Invitational that saw the Hoyas lose three straight matches, Georgetown closed non-conference action on a seven-match win streak. Additionally, they opened BIG EAST play with another victory, this time in five sets over Providence. Following the match, they took on Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, and fell in four sets. Next, they welcome Butler on Friday before playing Xavier on Saturday.
• Georgetown's Iva Vujosevic has already surpassed 200 kills on the season, as she averages 3.59 k/set. However, she has also surpassed 100 errors on the season, brining her hitting percentage down to .177. The Hoyas will look to have Vujosevic in top form with the Musketeers come to town.
• Georgetown was picked to finish sixth (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently sit fourth with a 1-1 conference record.
• Toby Rens enters his second season as head coach of Georgetown. Prior to coach with the Hoyas, he tallied 395 career victories and six NCAA Tournament Appearances. This included time at Northern Michigan, Maryland Eastern Shore, LIU-Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Chicago State.
• Xavier enters this weekend with a 4-8 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 this weekend, Xavier looks ahead to hosting Seton Hall on October 11 at 7:00 pm ET and St. John's on October 12 at 6:00 pm ET.
• 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.
• 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 67-40 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.
• 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.
• After this weekend, Xavier looks ahead to hosting Seton Hall on October 11 at 7:00 pm ET and St. John's on October 12 at 6:00 pm ET.
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THE MATCHUP VS VILLANOVA |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-8) vs VILLANOVA WILDCATS (10-3)
Match Info - Friday, Oct. 4 - 6:00 p.m. ET - Jake Nevin Field House
Watch - TBD
Live Stats - TBD
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ABOUT VILLANOVA |
2019 Record: 10-3 (1-1 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: BIG EAST Tournament First Round
Series History: Xavier leads 8-5
Last Meeting : VU 3, XU 0 - 11/17/2018
VILLANOVA AT A GLANCE
• Villanova's season began with an impressive 10-2 non-conference record. The only two losses came against the only two Power 5 opponents the Wildcats faced, TCU and USC. Villanova began BIG EAST play with a trip to Omaha, Nebraska, to play Creighton. The match was fairly easy for the Jays, as Villanova failed to reach 20 in each set. However, they bounced back in Providence, Rhode Island, as the Wildcats came away with a four-set victory over the Friars.
• For Villanova, the key to their attack has been efficiency. While their kill leader averages under three kills per set, the top four attackers all have an average hitting percentage of .322. For comparison, Xavier's top four attackers combine for a hitting percentage of .203, though they have 29 more kills than the Wildcats' top four.
• Villanova was picked to finish fourth (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently sit third with a 1-1 conference record.
• The Wildcats are led by 13-year head coach John Steinbach. During his tenure, he has accumulated 201 wins, the most by any coach in Villanova volleyball history. In 2015, Steinbach was named the AVCA East Region Coach of the Year following a 25-9 season and the program's second-ever NCAA Tournament berth.
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THE MATCHUP VS GEORGETOWN |
XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-8) vs GEORGETOWN HOYAS (11-5)
Match Info - Saturday, Oct. 5 - 3:00 p.m. ET - McDonough Arena
Watch - http://guhoyas.com/showcase?Live=135
Live Stats - http://statb.us/b/265602
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ABOUT GEORGETOWN |
2019 Record: 11-5 (1-1 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier leads 12-2
Last Meeting : GU 3, XU 0 - 11/16/2018
GEORGETOWN AT A GLANCE
• Following a rough Bulldog Invitational that saw the Hoyas lose three straight matches, Georgetown closed non-conference action on a seven-match win streak. Additionally, they opened BIG EAST play with another victory, this time in five sets over Providence. Following the match, they took on Creighton in Omaha, Nebraska, and fell in four sets. Next, they welcome Butler on Friday before playing Xavier on Saturday.
• Georgetown's Iva Vujosevic has already surpassed 200 kills on the season, as she averages 3.59 k/set. However, she has also surpassed 100 errors on the season, brining her hitting percentage down to .177. The Hoyas will look to have Vujosevic in top form with the Musketeers come to town.
• Georgetown was picked to finish sixth (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently sit fourth with a 1-1 conference record.
• Toby Rens enters his second season as head coach of Georgetown. Prior to coach with the Hoyas, he tallied 395 career victories and six NCAA Tournament Appearances. This included time at Northern Michigan, Maryland Eastern Shore, LIU-Brooklyn, Pittsburgh and Chicago State.
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FIRST SERVE |
• Xavier enters this weekend with a 4-8 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 this weekend, Xavier looks ahead to hosting Seton Hall on October 11 at 7:00 pm ET and St. John's on October 12 at 6:00 pm ET.
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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.
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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.
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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 67-40 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.
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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.
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UP NEXT |
• After this weekend, Xavier looks ahead to hosting Seton Hall on October 11 at 7:00 pm ET and St. John's on October 12 at 6:00 pm ET.
Players Mentioned
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