Women's Basketball Opens 2026-27 Season at Purdue Fort Wayne

Monday, November 2

Fort Wayne, Ind.

7 p.m.

Xavier University

Purdue Fort Wayne

10.31.26 | Women's Basketball

Live Stats ESPN+

Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. on Nov. 2 from the Gates Sports Center

By: Greg Lautzenheiser, Xavier Athletic Communications

CINCINNATI - Xavier women's basketball opens the 2026-27 season at Purdue Fort Wayne on Monday, Nov. 2. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m. from the Gates Sports Center.

GAME INFORMATION

XAVIER MUSKETEERS (0-0) at PURDUE FORT WAYNE MASTODONS (0-0)
Game Info - Monday, Nov. 2 - 7 p.m. ET - Gates Sports Center (1,800) - Fort Wayne, Ind.
Live Stats - www.gomastodons.com
ESPN+ - www.espn.com/watch

ABOUT THE MASTODONS

2026-27 Record: 0-0
2025-26 Record: 21-14 (12-8 Horizon)
2025 Postseason: WNIT - Super 16
Series History: Xavier leads, 4-0
Last Meeting: Xavier 62, Purdue Fort Wayne 61 (Nov. 7, 2025 - Cintas Center)

NOTABLES
• Purdue Fort Wayne was picked to finish 11th in the Horizon League Preseason Coaches' Poll. The Mastodons are led by first-year head coach Kate Peterson Abiad.
• The Mastodons defeated Taylor, 88-64, in the team's lone exhibition on Oct. 26 at the Gates Sports Center.
• Nika Lokica averaged 4.6 points and 2.2 rebounds per game last season for the Mastodons. Alyssa Berry and Avery Wagner are the only other returners.

SERIES HISTORY

Xavier leads the all-time series with Purdue Fort Wayne, 4-0.
The Musketeers won the last meeting between the two schools, 62-61, at Cintas Center on Nov. 7, 2025.
The last time Xavier played at Purdue Fort Wayne was on Dec. 6, 2004 (W, 68-50).

ALL-TIME MEETINGS
Nov. 7, 2025 - Xavier 62, Purdue Fort Wayne 61 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Nov. 29, 2017 - Xavier 62, Purdue Fort Wayne 50 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Dec. 17, 2005 - Xavier 77, Purdue Fort Wayne 49 (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Dec. 6, 2004 - Xavier 68, Purdue Fort Wayne 50 (Fort Wayne, Ind.)

SEASON OPENERS

Xavier is 22-6 in season openers over the last 28 seasons. Coach Chambers is 7-6 in season openers as a head coach.
The Musketeers are opening the season on the road for the first time since Nov. 8, 2023 at Youngstown State (L, 55-41).
Xavier is playing back-to-back road games to open the season for the first time since the 2021-22 season (played at Memphis on Nov. 9; played at Utah on Nov. 13).
The Musketeers are 8-5 in season openers away from Cincinnati since the start of the 2000-01 season.

KANERVA EARNS PRESEASON HONORS

Meri Kanerva was named to the 2026-27 Preseason All-BIG EAST Honorable Mention Team on Oct. 1 at BIG EAST Media Day. The event was held at the New York Marriott Marquis in Times Square.
Kanerva earned the preseason honors for the second time in as many seasons.

SCHEDULE NOTES

The Musketeers open BIG EAST action on Friday, Dec. 4 vs Marquette at Cintas Center. The game will serve as the team's Field Trip Day with tip-off slated for 11 a.m.
The Musketeers close BIG EAST action at DePaul on Sunday, Feb. 28. The conference tournament is slated for March 5-8 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
Xavier will play four non-conference home games at Cintas Center. All told, the Musketeers will play 14 home games during the 2026-27 season (10 home BIG EAST games; four non-conference games).
Xavier is opening the season on the road for the first time since the 2023-24 season (played at Youngstown State on Nov. 8).
Xavier will play teams from eight different leagues during non-conference action: Mid-American (2), Horizon (2), Big 12 (2), Atlantic 10, Big Ten, West Coast Conference, Mountain West Conference and River States Conference. The Musketeers non-conference opponents combined to make six postseason appearances last season.
The Musketeers look to win their second straight Skyline Chili Crosstown Shootout over the Bearcats on Tuesday, Dec. 15. Xavier defeated Cincinnati, 77-70, last season at Fifth Third Arena on Dec. 7.
Xavier is playing Purdue Fort Wayne, Dayton, Ohio and Akron for the second time in as many seasons.
The Musketeers are playing four new opponents for the first time in school history: Air Force, IU Southeast, Santa Clara and Texas Tech.

ABOUT THE MUSKETEERS

The Musketeer return junior Meri Kanerva who averaged 10.1 points per game last season. She added a team-high 117 assists to go along with 34 steals. The guard averaged 38.3 minutes per game, ranking first in the NCAA. Kanerva finished the season ranked tied for eighth in career assist average (3.6).
Denise Neves returns for her sophomore season after scoring 10 points in 45 minutes of action (played in 13 games). Xavier also returns Kodee Williams-Sefo and Mya Moore who both missed the 2025-26 season due to injuries.
The Musketeers reached double-figure wins last season for the first time since the 2018-19 season (posted an 11-19 record).
Xavier welcomes eight newcomers to the team in Kejia Ran, Marta Paulina Moscarella Contreras, Stella Mavuanga, Hila Karsh, Lucile Jerome, Morgan Jenkins, Diawna Carter-Hartley and Maria Anais Rodriguez.
Kejia Ran was the 43rd pick in the 2026 WNBA Draft by the Atlanta Dream, becoming only the fourth Chinese player taken in the WNBA Draft. She played for China at the 2025 FIBA U19 World Cup, averaging 19.1 points and 11.3 rebounds per game.
Hila Karsh played at Purdue during her freshman season (2025-26), averaging 6.9 points and 2.4 assists per game. She played in 30 games, making 15 starts.
Maria Anais Rodriguez played in 29 games (six starts) at Arkansas in 2025-26, averaging 5.4 points and 3.0 rebounds per game. She also played at Oklahoma State during the 2024-25 season.
Diawna Carter-Hartley (Princeton HS) returns home after spending the 2025-26 season at South Alabama. She played in 31 games, averaging 8.6 points and 6.4 rebounds per game. The forward also led the team in steals with 53.
Marta Paulina Moscarella Contreras (Columbia), Stella Mavuanga (France) and Lucile Jerome (France) bring extensive international experience to the program. Marta Paulina Moscarella Contreras was one of only 40 players selected to participate in the Women's Basketball Without Borders (BWB) All-Star Camp as a part of the 2026 WNBA All-Star Week.
Morgan Jenkins joins the Musketeers following a standout prep season at The Newman School in Boston, Mass.

XAVIER BASKETBALL HISTORY

Xavier has made nine NCAA Tournament appearances, most recently advancing to the tournament's second round in 2011.
The Musketeers' best NCAA Tournament finish was in 2001 and 2010 as XU advanced to the Elite Eight.

TV BROADCAST INFORMATION

The 2026-27 season marks the second year of a six-year media agreement that runs through 2030- 31, encompassing coverage across FOX Sports (FOX, FS1), NBC Sports (NBC, Peacock) and TNT Sports (TNT, TBS, truTV and Max). The agreement provides extensive national broadcast, cable and direct-to-consumer streaming coverage of BIG EAST women's and men's basketball games. ESPN+ will also stream a minimum of 75 women's basketball games.
Game times and television information will be announced the week of Oct. 5.

PRESEASON COACHES POLL

1. UConn – 100 (10 first-place votes)
2. Villanova – 90 (1)
3. Creighton – 78
4. St. John's – 68
5. Seton Hall – 67
6. Marquette – 60
7. Providence – 38
8. Georgetown – 36
9. Xavier – 29
10. Butler – 21
11. DePaul – 18

TICKET INFORMATION

Season tickets and single-game tickets are on sale now at GoXavier.com/Tickets. Fans interested in more information can contact the Xavier Athletics Ticket Office at 513-745-3411 ext. 7 or
tickets@xavier.edu
Xavier is inviting first-time guests to experience a women's basketball game with a complimentary ticket. Whether you're new to Xavier Nation, or just want to support women's sports, this is your opportunity to join us at Cintas Center! More information at GoXavier.com