By Spencer Tracy, Staff Writer

The home opener for Xavier women’s volleyball was a highly anticipated match as the University of Cincinnati Bearcats clawed their way into the Cintas Center last Thursday night. Coming off wins in their previous two meetings, Cincinnati prevailed after four tug-of-war sets, spoiling the Musketeers’ home opener.

Coming in as underdogs against the 5-2 Bearcats, Xavier looked to find some consistency after a strong game against the United States MilitaryAcademy from senior outside hitter Anna Taylor and redshirt junior outside hitter Emma Grace. Taylor and Grace led all returning Xavier players in points coming into this season. Senior setter Logan Flaugh has also earned a central role replacing five-year setter Carrigan O’Reilly this season.  

Both sides came out on fire, trading points until Cincinnati took a 10-7 lead in the first set. Xavier head coach Christy Pfeffenberger, going into her ninth season in her role, brought her team back into it by settling everyone’s nerves. The calm brought forth a powerful sequence as Flaugh set a floater across the court, resulting in a strong spike from Grace. This led to seven unanswered points for the Muskies, putting them up 14-10. 

The Bearcats responded with a few points, but the Muskies had a response for every jab thrown, scoring eight of the last 10 points and increasing their lead to 22-13. However, Cincinnati was no picnic of an opponent, bringing the game back within contention. The set ended with Flaugh sending a smooth sailing ball to redshirt freshman Margo Kemp to wrap up the set 25-19 for Xavier. 

To start set three, Taylor pounded two hits into the court for back-to-back points and Xavier gained an early 6-3 lead. This set had both Bearcat and Muskie fans on the edge of their seats, with the set staying within three points before Cincinnati took the lead 21-19. The Bearcats ended up overpowering the Muskies with four straight points, leading them to win the set 25-21.  

Xavier had a strong defense in set two, preventing large scoring runs from the Bearcats to keep the game within their reach. What started as a tight game with Cincinnati leading just 11-9 quickly turned into the Bearcats controlling the set. They had multiple quick scoring streaks of three or more points giving them the win for the second set with a 25-14 score, only allowing the Muskies five more points after the close race at the beginning. 

Following a hard set three loss, Xavier was playing to stay alive down two sets to one. Finding themselves in a hole trailing 15-10, the Muskies needed some last-minute magic to force a fifth set. Taylor and redshirt senior Sarah Stevens stepped up with a key block that led to a Grace ace, her third of the season so far. 

Cincinnati and Xavier both refused to give in as the Bearcats held a narrow 18-16 lead. The longer this game went, the more zealous each side became after a point. The dynamic duo between Flaugh and Grace brought Xavier back 24-21. However, Taylor was blocked at the line in an attempt to get the Muskies on the board, resulting in a 25-21 set loss and dropping the game to Cincinnati 3-1. 

Both sides gave a strong effort, but Cincinnati was able to close out sets two, three and four. The following day, the Musketeers beat Kent State University, moving them to 2-6 on the season. The Muskies will visit Northern Kentucky this Thursday and Miami (OH) on Friday with the hope of securing some more victories.