By Monica Dobson, Newswire Intern

Last Friday, Xavier women’s volleyball showed off their pink uniforms while taking down the University of Connecticut Huskies during their annual Dig Pink match in honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Musketeers returned to Cintas to face UConn after a four-game road trip over the past two weeks. The Musketeers were 2-2 during their two weeks on the road, collecting wins over Seton Hall University and Georgetown University to help them remain at sixth in the Big East standings. After these games, Xavier’s combined 94-dig tally is their best since Oct. 8, 2021.

The Musketeers started out set one against UConn with a strong lead, redshirt junior Emma Grace secured three kills for the Muskies. The teams were then neck-and-neck each time the ball was served. UConn caught up with a few good serves, putting them in the lead. By the end of the set, they were able to come out on top by two points to secure a 25-23 win in set one.

To begin the second set, the Musketeers picked up quickly with the assistance of senior setter Logan Flaugh. The Musketeers tied with the Huskies with kills by Grace, redshirt freshman middle blocker Margo Kemp and freshman defensive specialist Kelsey Niesen. From there, the Musketeers were on a roll and stayed ahead of Huskies through many powerful serves, leading them to a 15-25 win in set two.

Senior libero Lucia Corsaro held down the team, with kills by redshirt junior outside hitter Anna Taylor, guiding the Musketeers significantly with their serves. The Musketeers won set three 25-22, giving them a 2-1 lead.

For the first half of the fourth set, the Musketeers were off balance, allowing UConn to catch up. Regardless, the Musketeers were still able to keep their own with kills by Taylor and Grace. A couple of kills in return by the Huskies led them to a 20-25 win for set four, forcing the game to a fifth set.

To start off the final set, sophomore defensive specialist Elouise Czajkowski aced the Huskies three times, giving Xavier a strong start for the set. Both sides went back and forth on points, but the Musketeers secured the lead with a block from Kemp. Assistance from Flaugh gave the Musketeers the 15-11 win of set five, giving them the hard-fought 3-2 win over UConn. 

The Musketeers broke the Huskies’ six-game winning streak while handing them their third loss of the season. After securing this pink-clad win, Xavier improved to 7-12 (5-4 Big East) while UConn moved to 18-3 (6-3 Big East).

The Musketeers combined for a season-high of nine aces in a single match. Xavier also hit for .247 in the match for their best mark in conference play. Flaugh had a record night with 56 assists while also recording 12 digs and three aces for her 13th career double-double. The team tallied a season-high 62 assists. 

On Sunday, the Musketeers faced off against the Providence College Friars, and Xavier swept the game in three sets. This win helped advance the Musketeers to 6-4 for conference play while the Friars have yet to win against any Big East opponent so far. 

Grace was a standout player, leading both sides with 12 kills and 12 digs, her 22nd career double-double, also hitting .476, her season-best. Flaugh led the team in assists with 37 as well as 10 digs, her 14th double-double of her career. As a defensive specialist, Niesen recorded 11 digs and two kills. 

In this match, the Friars only recorded two blocks in all three sets, the lowest of any of Xavier’s Big East opponents this season. 

The Musketeers have two more home matches before leaving again for another four games on the road. On Friday, Georgetown will be in town, followed by Seton Hall on Sunday. With only eight more games before the Big East tournament, the Musketeers have a few more chances to move up in the Big East rankings and end their season on a high note.