Volleyball to Hold Alumni Match and Celebrate Senior Day This Weekend

Saturday, November 16

Cincinnati, Ohio

1 p.m.

Xavier University

Creighton

Volleyball to Hold Alumni Match and Celebrate Senior Day This Weekend

11.14.19 | Volleyball

Xavier hosts Creighton and Providence as the regular season comes to a close

By: By Mark Leopold, Xavier Athletics Communications

CINCINNATI, OH – Xavier will host No. 14 Creighton on Saturday for the annual Alumni Match at 1:00 pm ET, then they will take on Providence for Senior Day on Sunday at 1:00 pm ET. At 7-7, Xavier is still in the hunt for a BIG EAST Tournament bid, but they will need some help from Seton Hall to knock off St. John's.

THE MATCHUP VS CREIGHTON

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (10-14) vs CREIGHTON BLUEJAYS (20-4)
Match Info - Saturday, Nov. 16 - 1:00 p.m. ET - Cintas Center
Watch - http://bit.ly/XUHomeStream
Stats - http://bit.ly/XUHomeStats

ABOUT CREIGHTON

2019 Record: 20-4 (13-1 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: NCAA Tournament Second Round
Series History: Creighton leads 16-0
Last Meeting : CU 3, XU 0 - 10/20/2019

CREIGHTON AT A GLANCE
• In a brutal non-conference schedule, Creighton finished 7-3 with all three losses coming to nationally ranked opponents. Among their marquee wins were No.12 Kentucky and No. 15 USC. In BIG EAST play, Creighton has been unstoppable apart from a surprising sweep by Villanova last weekend.
• Creighton is a potent team with tremendous depth, as they hold six different conference leaders. Among them is freshman sensation Keeley Davis, who leads the team in aces and kills, including 31 in a match earlier this season.
• Creighton was picked to finish second (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll, and currently sit first with the tiebreaker after knocking off Marquette on the road earlier this season.
• Kirsten Bernthal Booth returns for her 17th season at the helm of the Bluejays volleyball program. She is a three-time National Coach of the Year, and she won AVCA Regional Coach of the Year honors in three of the past four seasons. Booth has led Creighton to 346 wins and a .677 winning percentage, the best in program history by far.

THE MATCHUP VS PROVIDENCE

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (10-14) vs PROVIDENCE FRIARS (6-21)
Match Info - Sunday, Nov. 17 - 1:00 p.m. ET - Cintas Center
Watch - http://bit.ly/XUHomeStream
Stats - http://bit.ly/XUHomeStats

ABOUT PROVIDENCE

2019 Record: 6-21 (1-13 BIG EAST)
2018 Postseason: None
Series History: Xavier leads 11-1
Last Meeting : XU 3, PC, 1 - 10/18/2019

PROVIDENCE AT A GLANCE
• The Friars had doubters raising eyebrows at the start of 2019, winning two of their three non conference tournaments with a sturdy record of 5-4. However, a tough loss to Brown in five sets would become a turning point in their season, as they would lose their next nine matches. After a 14-match losing streak, Providence finally earned their first conference win against Seton Hall to start November. Though they have lost three-straight entering this weekend, they can relax knowing their is no longer a zero in the win column.
• Despite the losing streak, the Friars don't lack in an intimidating attack. Jennifer Leitman ranks 6th in the BIG EAST in kills, Allison Barber ranks 5th in assists and Jenae Alderson ranks 4th in the conference in hitting percentage.
• Seton Hall was picked to finish 10th (out of 10) in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll.
• Long-time head coach Margot Royer-Johnson enters her 20th season as the leader of the Friars. While only posting one season during her tenure, 2017 was one of Providence's best years. They recorded 17 wins (the second-most since 1997), they won six BIG EAST matches (the most since they rejoined the conference in 2014), and they started the season 11-0 (the best start in program history).

FIRST SERVE

• Xavier enters this weekend with a 10-14 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 and a five-set victory at Georgetown. At home, Xavier beat Seton Hall in three sets for their first sweep of 2019, and they beat Providence on the road to continue their road dominance. Last month, Xavier took down Georgetown in an epic reverse sweep to stay at .500 in conference play, and proceeded to knock off DePaul in four sets. Last week, they completed yet anothe reverse sweep, this time of Seton Hall in New Jersey.

• 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. Ellie Chaffee earned a spot on the BIG EAST Honor Roll in part due to her 10-kill, 9-block performance against Georgetown. Jayda Carlton earned two more BIG EAST Honor Roll mentions for her blocking against Seton Hall and Marquette, and the following week after her blocking against Providence and Creighton. Two weeks ago, Carlton picked up her third-straight BIG EAST Honor Roll award, while Lauren Hanlon was named to her second BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honor. Moriah Hopkins kept Xavier's streak going with a BIG EAST Honor Roll mention two weeks ago, and Carrigan O'Reilly earned her frist honor last week.

2019 OPPONENT BREAKDOWN

• Xavier plays 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

• Freshmen Alyssa Overbeck and MaryAnn O'Toole and Senior Madi Kutruff lead the team in digs so far this season with a combined 806 digs of the team's 1180.

• Sophomore Jayda Carlton is the BIG EAST block leader, as she's tallied 101 blocks (1.23 block per set) in 22 matches.

• While kills are evenly dispersed throughout Xavier's balanced attack, Redshirt Freshman Lauren Hanlon leads the way with 199 put-aways (2.56 kills per set). Behind her, Moriah Hopkins chips in with 176 kills.

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 72-45 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

• Xavier's season ends with a home match against Butler on November 22 before traveling to Indianapolis to face the Bulldogs in the final match of the regular season on the 23rd.