Musketeers Take on Thundering Herd in Home Opener

Sunday, January 31

Cincinnati, Ohio

3 p.m.

Xavier University

Marshall

Musketeers Take on Thundering Herd in Home Opener

01.30.21 | Volleyball

Watch Live Live Stats

First serve is slated for 3 p.m. on Sunday from Cintas Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball takes on Marshall in its home opener on Sunday, Jan. 31. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS MARSHALL

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-0) vs MARSHALL THUNDERING HERD (0-0)
Game Info - Sunday, Jan. 31 - 3 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - bit.ly/36r5WuZ
Live Stats - bit.ly/2BQZu3r

ABOUT MARSHALL

2021 Record: 0-0
2019 Record: 18-10 (9-5 C-USA)
Series History: Xavier leads, 10-5
Last Meeting: Marshall 3, Xavier 0 (Sept. 4, 2007 - Huntington, W.Va.)

NOTABLES
• Marshall was picked to finish second in the east division in the Conference USA Preseason Coaches' Poll. Redshirt-senior Ciara Debell was selected to the preseason all-conference team for the second straight season.
• Ciara Debell was a first-team all-conference performer in 2019 and an AVCA All-South Region selection. The outside hitter has averaged 4.21 kills per set during her time in Huntington, W.Va.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier leads the all-time series with Marshall, 10-5. The Thundering Herd won the last meeting between the two schools, 3-0, on Sept. 3, 2007.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a four-set win (25-23, 25-19, 17-25, 25-18) at Bellarmine on Saturday in the Musketeers season opener.

• MaryAnn O'Toole posted 12 kills and 16 digs, her fourth career double-double. The Louisville, Ky., native was one of four players with 10 or more digs.

• Freshman Delaney Hogan matched O'Toole for the team lead in kills in her Musketeer debut. The middle blocker added five bocks (four assist, one solo).

• Sophomore Carrigan O'Reilly added a team-high 38 assists to go along with 11 digs, five assists and three blocks. Classmate Alyssa Overbeck added 16 digs.

• Xavier held a 13-7 advantage in blocks and had three more assists (6-3) than the Knights. The Musketeers finished with a .227 hitting percentage, while limiting Bellarmine to a .161 clip.

SCHEDULE NOTES

• Volleyball will play divisionally with five teams in the East (Connecticut, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova) and five teams in the Midwest (Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette and Xavier). League play will start on Friday, Feb. 19. Each team is scheduled to play divisional opponents twice, with both games scheduled at one location on the same weekend. The championship is scheduled for April 2 and 3, hosted by Creighton. The Championship will pit the top two teams in the East and Midwest against each other.

• Xavier's opponents combined to post a 148-70 (.679) overall record in 2019. Four of the Musketeers opponents advanced to the 2019 NCAA Tournament: Cincinnati (Sweet 16), Creighton (Round of 32), Marquette (Round of 32) and Dayton (First Round).

PRESEASON BIG EAST

• Lauren Hanlon was named to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Volleyball Team on Wednesday. The Woodstock, Ill., native led the team in kills per set (2.50) and total kills (255) during the 2019 season. She was also named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team in 2019.

• Hanlon ranked third among BIG EAST freshmen in 2019 in kills per set, while ranking 15th overall. She added 65 blocks, 47 digs and four service aces.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

• Xavier returns 10 letterwinners from last season, including its top seven leaders in kills and blocks. The Musketeers lost its leader in total digs (426), Madi Kutruff, due to graduation.

• The Musketeers return its leader in assists, sophomore Carrigan O'Reilly. The setter averaged 6.03 a/s in conference only matches, leading all BIG EAST freshmen in the category and ranking eighth overall.

• Jayda Carlton returns after leading the BIG EAST in blocks (1.23 b/s), while ranking 51st in the NCAA. The junior middle blocker also led the team in hitting percentage (.266), while ranking 11th in the BIG EAST.

• Ellie Chaffee had a breakout season in 2019, posting 93 total blocks - ranking ninth in the BIG EAST. The junior middle blocker averaged 0.97 b/s in BIG EAST matches, ranking sixth overall.

• Xavier also returns two of its top three leaders in digs: sophomores Alyssa Overbeck and MaryAnn O'Toole. O'Toole ranked second among BIG EAST freshmen in digs in 2019, averaging 3.46 d/s. Overbeck ranked 12th (2.94 d/s) in the BIG EAST in the category.

• Xavier led the BIG EAST in blocks (2.31 b/s) in 2019, while ranking third in digs (15.37 d/s). The Musketeers ranked 74th in the NCAA in blocks per set.

• Xavier added three newcomers to the roster in Stevie Wolf, Hunter Fry and Delaney Hogan.

PRESEASON COACHES' POLL

EAST DIVISION
1. St. John's (4) - 16 pts.
2. Villanova (1) - 13
3. UConn - 8
4. Seton Hall - 7
5. Providence - 6

MIDWEST DIVISION
1. Creighton (3) - 15 pts.
2. Marquette (2) - 14
3. DePaul - 8
4. Xavier - 7
5. Butler - 6

First-place votes in ()

UP NEXT

• Xavier returns to action on Friday, Feb. 5 vs Cincinnati. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. at Cintas Center.