The team drops to 2-3 on the season, will open Big East play this weekend
BY ROBBIE DZIERZANOWSKI, staff writer
Xavier volleyball fell to 2-3 on the season, with their second loss of the year against Marshall. Xavier will
open up Big East play against DePaul on Feb. 19 in a two-game series to kick off their Big East schedule.
Xavier women’s volleyball took to the road and traveled to Huntington, W. Va for their second game this season against Marshall University women’s volleyball team on Feb. 14.
The Musketeers dropped a five-set match (19-25, 25-14, 30-28, 14-25, 10-15) behind a strong game from Marshall freshman Anna Calcagno, who posted season highs in kills, assists, points, aces and digs in her opening year.
The opening set of the game had seven total ties between the Musketeers and the Thundering Herd with only two lead changes.
Xavier led by two points (8-6) before the Thundering Herd scored six unanswered points, taking a 12-8 lead they held for the rest of the set. Marshall led by as many as eight points in the set and pulled away at the end for a 25-19 win.
In the second set, Xavier never trailed. The Musketeers dominated the entire set, posting a .469 hitting percentage as well as recording a 25-14 victory.
Xavier freshman middle blocker Delaney Hogan and sophomore outside hitter MaryAnn O’Toole combined for eight kills in the set with zero attacking errors.
The third set brought a lot of back and forth action, featuring 19 ties, with neither team leading by more than three points the entire match.
Tied at 28, the Musketeers got crucial back-to-back kills from senior Moriah Hopkins and junior Norah Painter, winning a lengthy set for the Muskies, 30-28.
On the brink of a Xavier win, the Herd showed up and used a 9-0 run to take a 22-12 advantage in the fourth set, eventually sealing a 25-14 win and forcing a fifth set.
In the fifth and final set, the Thundering Herd roared to life early, taking a quick 10-6 lead.
The Musketeers responded with a 4-2 run to close within two points (12-10), but the Thundering Herd scored the final three points of the set to seal a game win.
Hogan posted a team and season-high 17 kills, but the Musketeers could not muster a win. The middle blocker added a .438 hitting percentage and two blocks in the Musketeers’ loss.
Xavier moved to 10-7 in the all-time series with Marshall.
The Thundering Herd won both matches between the two schools this season, and action between the two schools will continue if they meet again next season.
With the loss, the Musketeers move to 2-3 on the year, while the winning Thundering Herd improve to 3-1.
Xavier women’s volleyball returns to action on Feb. 19 and 20 in a two-game series at DePaul University in Chicago.
It will be both teams’ Big East opener.
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