Musketeers, Flames Set for Monday Matinee

Monday, March 15

Cincinnati, Ohio

3 p.m.

Xavier University

UIC

03.13.21 | Volleyball

Live Stats

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

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier volleyball continues non-conference action on Monday, March 15 vs UIC. First serve is slated for 3 p.m. from Cintas Center.

THE MATCHUP VS UIC

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (4-5) vs UIC FLAMES (11-1)
Match Info - Monday, March 15 - 3 p.m. ET - Cintas Center (10,224)
Live Stats - bit.ly/2BQZu3r

ABOUT UIC

2021 Record: 11-1
2019 Record: 20-11
Series History: Xavier trails, 3-4
Last Meeting: Xavier 3, UIC 1 (Aug. 25, 2017 - Bowling Green, Ohio)

NOTABLES
• UIC has won five straight matches, most recently defeating Green Bay in three sets on March 9. The Flames were slated to take on Northern Kentucky on March 15-16 in a two-match series before the Norse canceled the series due to COVID-19 issues.
• The Flames rank 48th in the NCAA in aces (76), and 23rd in assists per set (13.20). UIC also ranks 41st nationally in hitting percentage (.251) and 42nd in digs per set (17.25).
• Morgan Kull ranks 55th in the NCAA in aces (20), while ranking 87th in total assists (398)

SERIES HISTORY

• Xavier trails the all-time series, 3-4, vs the Flames.

• Xavier won the last meeting in four sets on Aug. 25, 2017 at the Hampton Inn Invitational. The tournament was hosted by Bowling Green.

O'REILLY NAMED PLAYER OF WEEK

• Carrigan O'Reilly was named the BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week on March 2. The Westerville, Ohio native helped the Musketeers post a 2-1 record over the last two weeks, averaging 10.57 assists per set and 1.57 kills per set. O'Reilly totaled 148 assists, 22 kills, 24 digs and six blocks over three matches.

• She posted her first career triple-double in the five-set win at DePaul (Feb. 19), recording 11 kills, 12 digs and 44 assists (match high). O'Reilly added a .667 hitting percentage vs the Blue Demons (Feb. 19). The setter added seven kills, 42 assists and seven digs in the five-set loss at DePaul (Feb. 20).

• O'Reilly posted a season-high 62 assists to go along with four kills, five digs and two blocks in the four-set win at Kansas (Feb. 26). The 62 assists are the most by a BIG EAST player this season and the second-most in the NCAA (four-set match).

2021 BIG EAST HONOREES

March 2 - Carrigan O'Reilly - Offensive Player of the Week
Feb. 16 - Delaney Hogan - Weekly Honor Roll
Feb. 9 - Carrigan O'Reilly - Weekly Honor Roll
Feb. 9 - Delaney Hogan - Freshman of the Week
Feb. 2 - MaryAnn O'Toole - Weekly Honor Roll
Feb. 2 - Delaney Hogan - Freshman of the Week

LAST TIME OUT

• Xavier is coming off a three-set loss to Dayton on Tuesday night.

• Delaney Hogan posted a team-high eight kills and .700 hitting percentage. She added one block.

• Carrigan O'Reilly added five kills, 27 assists and five digs. The setter also recorded a .455 hitting percentage.

• Three other Musketeers posted five kills in the match: Moriah Hopkins, Kelly Franxman and Norah Painter. Ellie Chaffee added four kills and Mackenzie Mangette had three kills.

• Alyssa Overbeck led the team in digs with nine. Kelly Franxman added eight digs, while Stevie Wolf chipped in seven digs.

• Xavier held an 8-2 advantage in aces. Kelly Franxman had a match-high four aces, while MaryAnn O'Toole recorded three aces.

• Dayton posted 6.5 total team blocks, while the Musketeers were limited to one total team block. The Flyers posted a .390 hitting percentage, while Xavier recorded a .219 hitting percentage.

BIG EAST STAT RANKINGS

TEAM
1. Digs per set (16.74)
2. Assists per set (12.49)
2. Kills per set (13.51)
3. Hitting percentage (.235)

INDIVIDUAL
1. Alyssa Overbeck - Digs per set (4.59)
2. Carrigan O'Reilly - Assists per set (10.49)
3. Delaney Hogan - Hitting percentage (.379)
5. Ellie Chaffee - Hitting percentage (.349)
7. MaryAnn O'Toole - Digs per set (3.46)

NCAA STAT RANKINGS

TEAM
54. Assists per set (12.49)
52. Kills per set (13.51)
59. Digs per set (16.74)

INDIVIDUAL
42. Carrigan O'Reilly - Assists per set (10.49)
52. Delaney Hogan - Hitting percentage (.379)
85. Alyssa Overbeck - Digs per set (4.59)
101. Ellie Chaffee - Hitting percentage (.349)

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 BIG EAST action vs Butler on Friday, March 19. First serve is slated for 7 p.m. from Cintas Center with the match being aired on the BEDN.