2025-26 Women's Basketball Season Highlights

CINCINNATI -Season highlights and end-of-year notes from the 2025-26 season!

ATTENDANCE

Xavier has averaged 1,102 fans per game at Cintas Center during the Coach Chambers Era, an increase of 56.1 percent from the previous three seasons (averaged 702 home fans per game).
Three of our top-20 Cintas Center attendance marks have been during the Coach Chambers Era.

ALL-BIG EAST HONORS

Mariyah Noel was named to the 2026 All-BIG EAST Second Team, becoming the first Xavier player to earn second-team honors since joining the conference in 2013-14.
The guard led the team in scoring (14.9), while ranking second in rebounding (6.3). She added 73 assists, 29 steals and 13 blocks.
Noel made 99 free throws this season, the most since the 2016-17 season (Raeshaun Gaffney made 105 free throws).

ALL-BIG EAST HONOREES
2025-26 - Mariyah Noel - Second Team
2024-25 - Meri Kanerva - All-Freshman Team
2023-24 - Aizhanique Mayo - All-Freshman Team
2022-23 - Fernanda Ovalle - All-Freshman Team
2021-22 - Ayanna Townsend - Scholar-Athlete of the Year
2019-20 - A'riana Gray - Honorable Mention
2018-19 - A'riana Gray - Honorable Mention
2017-18 - Aaliyah Dunham - All-Freshman Team
2016-17 - Raeshaun Gaffney - Honorable Mention
2015-16 - Briana Glover - Honorable Mention
2013-14 - Maddison Blackwell - All-Freshman Team

KANERVA ASSIST RECORD

Meri Kanerva is the first Musketeer to have 100 or more assists in back-to-back seasons since Aaliyah Dunham (2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons). The guard had 104 assists in 2024-25, the second most by a Xavier freshman. She finished the 2025-26 season with 117 assists, ranking fifth in single-season school history by a sophomore.
Meri Kanerva is the only player in school history to record 100 or more assists in a freshman and sophomore season.
Meri Kanerva finished the season ranked tied for eighth in career assist average (3.6).

NOTABLES

The Musketeers reached double-figure wins for the first time since the 2018-19 season (posted an 11-19 record).
Xavier had four BIG EAST wins, the most conference wins in a season since the 2021-22 season (went 4-16 in BIG EAST play).
Xavier had 17, 20-point performers this season: Mariyah Noel (9), MacKenzie Givens (6), Meri Kanerva (1) and Vivien Nejašmić (1). The Musketeers only had 20, 20-point performances in the previous four seasons combined.
Xavier had two players average six or more rebounds per game this season in Savannah White (7.3) and Mariyah Noel (6.3). The last time Xavier had two or more players average six or more rebounds per game was during the 2013-14 season: Jenna Crittendon (6.9) and Leah Schaefer (6.0).
Xavier had three players average 10 or more points per game: Mariyah Noel (14.9), MacKenzie Givens (11.7) and Meri Kanerva (10.1). The last time Xavier had three or more players average 10 or more points per game in a season was in 2015-16: Briana Glover (11.1), Raeshaun Gaffney (11.1) and Aliyah Zantt (10.1).
Mariyah Noel is averaged 14.9 points per game, ranking sixth in the BIG EAST and 193rd in the NCAA. The junior guard entered the season with a 1.8 points per game scoring averaging in 39 games at Ole Miss. She also ranked second on the team in rebounding (6.3), while ranking eighth in the BIG EAST. Noel is one of five players who ranked in the top-10 in the BIG EAST in both rebounding and scoring.
Savannah White is averaged a team-high 7.3 rebounds per game to go along with 7.0 points per game. She ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in rebounding and 158th in the NCAA. The forward also ranked third in the BIG EAST in blocks per game (1.4), while ranking 79th in the NCAA. White added a team-high 41 blocks and 43 steals.
Meri Kanerva averaged 10.1 points per game. She has 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.
Sophomore MacKenzie Givens averaged 11.7 points and 4.4 rebounds per game this season. She averaged 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds per game last season. Givens led the team in field-goal percentage (.489).
The Musketeers finished the year ranked fourth in the BIG EAST in field-goal percentage defense (.406). Xavier also ranked seventh in blocks per game (3.2) and turnovers forced per game (15.8).
Xavier finished the year with 96 blocks, ranking eighth in single-season school history. The team's 3.2 blocks per game averaged ranks tied for eighth in single-season school history. Savannah White finished the season with 41 blocks, ranking tied for 10th place in single-season school history with Joei Clyburn (2006-07). Her 1.4 blocks per game average ranks tied for ninth in single-season school history.
Xavier finished the season with a .725 free-throw percentage, ranking fourth in single-season school history.
Vivien Nejašmić scored a team-high 24 points on 10-for-17 shooting in 25 minutes of action off the bench at Butler on Dec. 19. She is one of only three Xavier players to make 10 or more field goals in a game since the start of the 2022-23 season (Meri Kanerva and Mariyah Noel are the others).
Mariyah Noel scored a game-high 24 points on 11-for-18 shooting at Marquette on Feb. 25. The 11 field-goals made and 18 field-goals attempted by Mariyah Noel are a season high for a Musketeer player. Noel becomes the first player to make 11 or more field goals in a game since Jan. 4, 2017 (Raeshaun Gaffney made 12 field goals in a 72-64 win over Seton Hall).
Mariyah Noel posted back-to-back games with 22 points on Nov. 7-11, becoming the first player to score 20 or more points in consecutive games since A'riana Gray in 2020 (scored 20 points in back-to-back games on Jan. 10-12).
The Musketeers have posted double-figure steals 13 times over the last two seasons.
Xavier posted a 74-53 win vs Ohio on Nov. 20 at Cintas Center. The 21-point margin of victory was Xavier's largest margin of victory since Dec. 15, 2023 vs SIUE (W, 68-43). Xavier scored 74 or more points in a home game for the first time since Nov. 22, 2022 (W, 84-68 vs McNeese State).
Xavier had two players with 11 or more rebounds in a game for the first time since Dec. 19, 2021 (W, 65-58 vs Southeast Missouri) vs Ohio on Nov. 20.
Xavier had 20 assists vs Ohio on Nov. 20, the first time the Musketeers posted 20 or more assists in a game since Dec. 15, 2023 (23 assists in a 68-43 win vs SIUE).

Schedule

Upcoming Events

Players Mentioned

MacKenzie Givens

Meri Kanerva

Aizhanique Mayo

Mariyah Noel

Savannah White

Upcoming Events

Xavier University Athletics