Volleyball Takes on Crosstown Rival Cincinnati on Friday Night

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball returns to action on Friday night vs crosstown rival Cincinnati. First serve is slated for 6 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS CINCINNATI

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (1-1) vs CINCINNATI BEARCATS (1-1)
Game Info - Friday, Feb. 5 - 6 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Video - bit.ly/3twDxxJ
Live Stats - bit.ly/2BQZu3r

ABOUT CINCINNATI

2021 Record: 1-1
2019 Record: 27-7 (15-1 AAC)
Series History: Xavier trails, 25-11
Last Meeting: Cincinnati 3, Xavier 0 (Cincinnati, Ohio - Cintas Center - Sept. 19, 2019)

NOTABLES
• Cincinnati is 1-1 on the year after splitting its season-opening weekend series at Illinois State on Jan. 29-30.
• Armania Heckenmueller, Maria Mallon and Adria Oliver were all named to the Preseason All-AAC Team. The Bearcats were also picked to finish second in the east division of the AAC.
• Madison Waters leads the team in kills, averaging 4.29 kills per set. Ashley Kozer leads the team in assists (11.71 a/s), while Adria Oliver has a team-high seven blocks to go along with 14 kills.

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series with Cincinnati, 25-11. The Musketeers are 3-7 in the last 10 meetings with the Bearcats and have dropped four in a row.

• Xavier is looking for its first win over Cincinnati since a three-set win on Aug. 30, 2014 at Cintas Center.

HOGAN - FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK

• Delaney Hogan was named the BIG EAST Volleyball Freshman of the Week on Monday afternoon. The middle blocker averaged 2.56 kills per set in two matches last week and posted a .328 hitting percentage. She totaled 24 kills to go along with eight blocks and two assists.

O'TOOLE - WEEKLY HONOR ROLL

• Sophomore MaryAnn O'Toole was named to the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll on Monday afternoon. The outside hitter led Xavier in kills last week, averaging 3.44 kills per set – totaling 31 kills over two matches. She ranked second on the team in digs with 39 (4.33 d/s), while adding two blocks and three assists.

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a five-set loss (25-14, 23-25, 25-19, 21-25, 12-15) to Marshall on Sunday afternoon.

• MaryAnn O'Toole posted her second straight double-double and the fifth of her career. The outside hitter posted a career-high 19 kills and a career-high 23 digs. The 19 kills were also a match high vs the Thundering Herd.

• Carrigan O'Reilly posted a match-high 57 assists to go along with eight digs and four blocks. Alyssa Overbeck chipped in 32 digs, while Stevie Wolf had 24 digs.

• Freshman Delaney Hogan recorded 11 kills, three blocks and two assists. Lauren Hanlon added nine kills, while Ellie Chaffee added eight.

• Xavier posted three more total team blocks (10-7) than Marshall. The Thundering Herd posted two more aces (4-2).

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 Saturday, Feb. 6 at Cincinnati. First serve is slated for 2 p.m. from Fifth Third Arena.

Schedule

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