Xavier University Athletics
Xavier Earns BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year; Four Named to All-BIG EAST Teams
11.21.25 | Volleyball
Emma Grace, Macy Hatkevich and Anna Taylor were named to the All-BIG EAST Team while McKinley Boehm earned All-Freshman Team honors.
NEW YORK - Emma Grace, Macy Hatkevich and Anna Taylor were each named to the All-BIG EAST Team for the first time in their careers. McKinley Boehm also earned a spot on the All-Freshman Team. The last time Xavier had three players make the All-BIG EAST Team was in 2022.
Grace, a redshirt senior from Villa Hills, Ky., was a unanimous selection and leads the Musketeers in kills (349) and points (321). She ranked sixth in conference play for both kills (3.31) and points (3.86) per set while ranking 10th in digs per set (3.02). The redshirt senior has tallied 18 double-doubles this season for a total of 43 in her career. She became the 13th player in program history to record at least 1000 kills, 1000 digs and 100 aces in their career. She helps XU lead the league with 14.79 digs per set.
Grace has posted 20+ kills in five different matches this season including a career-high 23 kills against Miami (OH) on Sept. 5 and again on Oct. 4 at Villanova. She has also recorded 321 digs, 32 blocks and 28 aces this season. The Kentucky native was the Xavier Invitational MVP earlier this season after leading XU to a 3-0 weekend at home and also earned a spot on the Stacheville Challenge All-Tournament Team for Xavier's opening weekend sweep. She was a four-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selection this season.
Hatkevich, a junior from Granger, Ind., transferred in from Toledo this season and helped lead the Musketeers to a program-best conference record. She is averaging 9.07 assists per set on the season, good for fourth-best in the league. The 5-foot-8 setter has registered six double-doubles this season and has posted 45+ assists in four different matches this season. She had a career-high 59 assists in the Musketeers' five-set win over Villanova on the road on Oct. 4.
Hatkevich totaled her 2000th career assist on Sept. 9 at Cincinnati and has totaled 933 assists, 192 digs, 81 kills, 49 blocks and 25 aces this season. She was named BIG EAST Setter of the Week twice this season and was a one-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll mention. The Indiana native also earned a spot on the Stacheville Challenge All-Tournament Team after helping XU start the season 3-0.
Taylor, a redshirt senior from St. Louis, is hitting .314 on the season, good for 10th-best in the league and is one of just two players to rank in the league's top-10 hitting percentages. The right side hitter recorded her 1000th career kill on Nov. 8 and has reached double figures in 15 different matches this season. She has hit above .400 in 11 matches and led the team in kills in six matches.
Taylor has recorded 262 kills and 55 blocks this season. She had a career-high seven blocks against Murray State on Aug. 30. The Missouri native was the Stacheville Challenge MVP after she led Xavier to a 3-0 season-opening weekend and earned a spot on the Xavier Invitational All-Tournament Team after another 3-0 weekend. She earned her first BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll nod on Nov. 10 after hitting .404 and totaling 29 kills through two road wins.
Boehm, a redshirt freshman from South Jordan, Utah, was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. She ranked seventh in conference play with a .338 hitting percentage and third with 1.20 blocks per set, the highest of any rookie. The middle blocker posted a career-high 15 kills at Villanova on Oct. 4. She recorded a career-best nine blocks against Murray State on Aug. 30 and again Sept. 5 against Miami (OH). She hit above .500 in nine different matches this season.
Boehm has totaled 176 kills and 121 blocks including 26 solo stuffs this season while hitting .318. She was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week five times this season and was the only player to earn the award more than two times. The Utah native was also named to the Xavier Invitational All-Tournament Team and earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll once.
Head coach Christy Pfeffenberger, assistant coach Lainey Stephenson and graduate assistant Zoe Conway were voted BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year by the league's coaches. The coaching trio helped lead Xavier to a 15-win improvement from the 2024 season and the program's best BIG EAST record of 14-2 to earn their first No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Pfeffenberger earned the honor for the second time in her head coaching career. She also earned the honor in 2022 after leading the Musketeers to the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament with an 11-7 conference record.
The Musketeers head to Milwaukee this weekend for the BIG EAST Tournament. The No. 2 seed Musketeers will face No. 3 seed Villanova on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST.
Grace, a redshirt senior from Villa Hills, Ky., was a unanimous selection and leads the Musketeers in kills (349) and points (321). She ranked sixth in conference play for both kills (3.31) and points (3.86) per set while ranking 10th in digs per set (3.02). The redshirt senior has tallied 18 double-doubles this season for a total of 43 in her career. She became the 13th player in program history to record at least 1000 kills, 1000 digs and 100 aces in their career. She helps XU lead the league with 14.79 digs per set.
Grace has posted 20+ kills in five different matches this season including a career-high 23 kills against Miami (OH) on Sept. 5 and again on Oct. 4 at Villanova. She has also recorded 321 digs, 32 blocks and 28 aces this season. The Kentucky native was the Xavier Invitational MVP earlier this season after leading XU to a 3-0 weekend at home and also earned a spot on the Stacheville Challenge All-Tournament Team for Xavier's opening weekend sweep. She was a four-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll selection this season.
Hatkevich, a junior from Granger, Ind., transferred in from Toledo this season and helped lead the Musketeers to a program-best conference record. She is averaging 9.07 assists per set on the season, good for fourth-best in the league. The 5-foot-8 setter has registered six double-doubles this season and has posted 45+ assists in four different matches this season. She had a career-high 59 assists in the Musketeers' five-set win over Villanova on the road on Oct. 4.
Hatkevich totaled her 2000th career assist on Sept. 9 at Cincinnati and has totaled 933 assists, 192 digs, 81 kills, 49 blocks and 25 aces this season. She was named BIG EAST Setter of the Week twice this season and was a one-time BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll mention. The Indiana native also earned a spot on the Stacheville Challenge All-Tournament Team after helping XU start the season 3-0.
Taylor, a redshirt senior from St. Louis, is hitting .314 on the season, good for 10th-best in the league and is one of just two players to rank in the league's top-10 hitting percentages. The right side hitter recorded her 1000th career kill on Nov. 8 and has reached double figures in 15 different matches this season. She has hit above .400 in 11 matches and led the team in kills in six matches.
Taylor has recorded 262 kills and 55 blocks this season. She had a career-high seven blocks against Murray State on Aug. 30. The Missouri native was the Stacheville Challenge MVP after she led Xavier to a 3-0 season-opening weekend and earned a spot on the Xavier Invitational All-Tournament Team after another 3-0 weekend. She earned her first BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll nod on Nov. 10 after hitting .404 and totaling 29 kills through two road wins.
Boehm, a redshirt freshman from South Jordan, Utah, was named to the BIG EAST All-Freshman Team. She ranked seventh in conference play with a .338 hitting percentage and third with 1.20 blocks per set, the highest of any rookie. The middle blocker posted a career-high 15 kills at Villanova on Oct. 4. She recorded a career-best nine blocks against Murray State on Aug. 30 and again Sept. 5 against Miami (OH). She hit above .500 in nine different matches this season.
Boehm has totaled 176 kills and 121 blocks including 26 solo stuffs this season while hitting .318. She was named BIG EAST Freshman of the Week five times this season and was the only player to earn the award more than two times. The Utah native was also named to the Xavier Invitational All-Tournament Team and earned a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll once.
Head coach Christy Pfeffenberger, assistant coach Lainey Stephenson and graduate assistant Zoe Conway were voted BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year by the league's coaches. The coaching trio helped lead Xavier to a 15-win improvement from the 2024 season and the program's best BIG EAST record of 14-2 to earn their first No. 2 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament.
Pfeffenberger earned the honor for the second time in her head coaching career. She also earned the honor in 2022 after leading the Musketeers to the No. 3 seed in the BIG EAST Tournament with an 11-7 conference record.
The Musketeers head to Milwaukee this weekend for the BIG EAST Tournament. The No. 2 seed Musketeers will face No. 3 seed Villanova on Saturday at 3:30 p.m. EST.
Players Mentioned
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