Volleyball Set to Host Villanova and Georgetown

The Musketeers beat both teams on the road earlier this season with both matches going to five sets. 

XU is in sole control of second place in the BIG EAST standings with a 9-1 record, two games ahead of Villanova.

Xavier is tied with Nebraska and Towson for the most wins in the country with 20 each.

The Musketeers have the third-best win percentage in the nation at .909, second only to the two remaining undefeated teams, Nebraska and Texas.

match information

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 31 | 6:00 PM

• Xavier Musketeers (20-2, 9-1 BIG EAST) vs. Villanova Wildcats (16-5, 7-3 BIG EAST)
• Cincinnati, Ohio // Cintas Center
• Watch (Xavier+)
• Live Stats

SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 1 | 6:00 PM

• Xavier Musketeers (20-2, 9-1 BIG EAST) vs. Georgetown Hoyas (13-10, 6-4 BIG EAST)
• Cincinnati, Ohio // Cintas Center
• Watch (Xavier+)
• Live Stats

about the musketeers

• Xavier’s 20 wins are tied for the most in the country along with No. 1 Nebraska and Towson.
• The Musketeers are currently riding an eight-game win streak and have won 14 of their last 15.
• XU ended non conference play with an 11-1 record, their best mark in program history.
• Xavier looks to defend its home court this weekend with a 9-0 record inside Cintas Center this season.
• McKinley Boehm earned a spot on the latest BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll after leading the league with a .448 hitting percentage last weekend.
• The Musketeers remain in sole possession of second place in the BIG EAST standings after a 2-0 weekend at home against St. John’s and Seton Hall.
• Xavier boasts one of the best defenses in the league, leading the conference with 14.76 digs per set while also ranking second in opponent hitting percentage (.183) and blocks per set (2.38).
• Boehm ranks second in conference play with a .372 hitting percentage and sixth for her 1.13 blocks per set.
• Boehm (.337), Anna Taylor (.308) and Margo Kemp (.307) all rank in the league’s top-10 overall hitting percentages.
• Kelsey Niesen’s 3.93 digs per set is good for fifth-best in the league.
• Emma Grace ranks ninth with 3.25 kills per set and 3.16 digs per set. She is the only player in the top-10 of both categories.
• XU checked in at No. 31 in the NCAA Volleyball RPI this week.

scouting the wildcats

• Villanova sits in third place in the BIG EAST standings with a 7-3 league record after a loss to DePaul and a win over Marquette last weekend.
• Freshman middle blocker Reagan McGivern was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week after leading the league on 1.75 blocks per set.
• The Wildcats were picked to finish fifth in the preseason poll after a BIG EAST Semifinal appearance last season.
• Campbell McKinnon hits .400, the second-highest mark in the league and 25th in the nation.
• VU leads the league with a combined .269 hitting percentage and 13.98 kills per set.
• Xavier defeated the Wildcats in five sets earlier this season in Villanova, Pa. Emma Grace had a career-high 23 kills in the match.
• XU leads the all-time series against VU, 13-10.

scouting the hoyas

• Georgetown is currently tied for fourth place in the BIG EAST standings with a 6-4 league record after picking up wins over Marquette and DePaul last weekend.
• Outside hitter Samantha Soderlund was named BIG EAST Rookie of the Week after contributing 3.69 points and 3.25 kills per set in the Hoyas’ 2-0 weekend.
• The Hoyas were picked to finish 10th in the preseason poll after a 4-14 record a season ago.
• Kamryn Lee-Caracci leads the team with a .358 hitting percentage, good for fifth-best in the league.
• Xavier defeated Georgetown in five sets earlier this season in Washington, D.C. Emma Grace and Charlotte Moriarty each tallied 15 kills in the match.
• XU leads the all-time series with the Hoyas, 23-2, winning the last 11 straight.

big east standings

big east weekly honors

Sept. 2 – Margo Kemp – BIG EAST Co-Defensive Player of the Week
Sept. 8 – McKinley Boehm – BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Sept. 8 – Macy Hatkevich – BIG EAST Setter of the Week
Sept. 8 – Emma Grace – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Sept. 22 – Macy Hatkevich – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 6 – McKinley Boehm – BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Oct. 6 – Emma Grace – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 6 – Margo Kemp – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 13 – Margo Kemp – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll
Oct. 20 – McKinley Boehm – BIG EAST Freshman of the Week
Oct. 20 – Kelsey Niesen – BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week
Oct. 27 – McKinley Boehm – BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll

preseason big east honors

BIG EAST Volleyball Preseason Coaches’ Poll 
(first-place votes)

1. Creighton (10) 100
2. Marquette (1) 85
3. UConn 80
4. St. John’s 79
5. Villanova 63
6. DePaul 53
7. Xavier 47
8. Seton Hall 31
9. Butler 29
10. Georgetown 27
11. Providence 11

Preseason BIG EAST Volleyball Player of the Year: Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton

Preseason All-BIG EAST Team^

McKenna Brand, So., L/DS, UConn

Doga Kutlu, Gr., S, UConn

Emma Werkmeister, Sr., OH, UConn

Jaya Johnson, So., RS/MB, Creighton

Ava Martin, Sr., OH, Creighton*

Kiara Reinhardt, Sr., MB, Creighton*

Hattie Bray, Sr., MB, Marquette*

Natalie Ring, Jr., OH, Marquette

Erin Jones, Sr., S/RS, St. John’s*

Lucrezia Lodi, Sr., OH, St. John’s

Rashanny Solano-Smith, Jr., L/DS, St. John’s

Abby Harrell, Jr., OH, Villanova

Campbell McKinnon, So., MB, Villanova

Margo Kemp, RS-So., MB, Xavier

^Denotes tie in voting

*Denotes unanimous selection