BIG EAST Announces Complete Women's Basketball Schedule

CINCINNATI - The BIG EAST announced the complete conference schedule for the 2026-27 season on Thursday afternoon.

Xavier fans can get their first glimpse of the team on Sunday, Oct. 26 during the University's All For One Weekend. The Musketeers take on Mercyhurst at noon in a free, public exhibition.

The Musketeers open the 2026-27 season on Monday, Nov. 2 at Purdue Fort Wayne. Xavier opens the home portion of their schedule on Monday, Nov. 9 vs Akron.

Xavier opens its 20-game conference schedule on Friday, Dec. 4 vs Marquette at Cintas Center.

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.

TV 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 at a later date.

TICKETS

Season 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
Single-game tickets for the upcoming season are expected to go on sale on Oct. 13.

Schedule

Upcoming Events