By: Adam Purvis ~Staff Writer~

Hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving Break, but while we were stuffing our faces with turkey and football, the volleyball team ended its season last Friday during the Big East tournament against No. 2 seed Villanova.

Leading up to the Big East tournament, Xavier continued its three win streak by defeating both DePaul and Marquette at home and ended its season by winning eight of its last ten matches.

After its victory over Georgetown, the Muskies went on to its second victory of the streak by defeating DePaul (3-1). Xavier led the entire first set, leading by as many as nine points, and claimed the set 25-14.

DePaul did not quit and led 8-3 early in the second set. The Musketeers would come back to tie at 12 before the Blue Demons bounced back with a 9-2 run. The set ended 25-18 for the Demons’ win.

Set three would continue on with a close match including eight ties and five lead changes. Xavier came out on top 25-19 to take its second set.

The final set of the day would see DePaul and Xavier tied at 12. The Musketeers went on a run and never relinquished the lead, to end the set 25-22 and the match.

The next day, they defeated Marquette to continue their streak on senior night for seniors Makayla Agin and Lauren Metzger (3-1).

The first set had the Golden Eagles up 23-18 before the Musketeers turned the set around and went on a 6-1 run to tie at 24, the twelfth tie of the set. After some back and forth, junior Abbey Bessler posted a kill while tied at 30. A Marquette error followed, and Xavier won the first set, 32-30.

Xavier would go on to win the next set 25-22 before giving one up to Marquette 25-19.

Xavier took the final set storming to a huge advantage of 15-4 and ending the match 25-19.

Seniors Agin and Metzger earned their 79th and final career victory as Musketeers with the win.

Their final match of the season ended with a tough loss against Villanova (3-0) in Omaha, Neb. Bessler had been named Big East Player of the Year and had thirteen kills during the game while freshman McKena Estes had a team-high 19 assists.

The first set contained much back and forth between the two teams, including six ties and four lead changes. With a close first set, Villanova took it 25-20.

The team would be nipping at the heels of the Wildcats during two more close sets, but it wouldn’t be able to come out on top, with the next sets ending 25- 19 and 25-17, respectively.

The Musketeers ended their strong season with a winning overall record of 18-12 and 14-4 in the Big East conference.