By Jacob Halbesma, Local and National Editor 

The Xavier Musketeers women’s basketball team is off to a 3-0 start to the 2026-2027 season under third-year head coach Billi Chambers. They have beat Purdue Fort Wayne and Northwestern on the road and Akron in their home opener. 

“Our athleticism and culture surrounding the program has changed,” senior sports management major, and the team’s head manager, Seth Wehner said. 

The Musketeers’ rebuild is finally coming to fruition, as the staff brought in more depth through the transfer portal and ensured all players were ready to go as the season began. The returns of forward Mya Moore and guard-forward Kodee Willaims-Sefo, who both missed the entire 2025-26 season due to injury, have provided more size and skill to the team. 

The season opener showcased the team’s upgraded roster and system, putting on a scoring display as fourth-year guard Lucile Jerome finished with 28 points in the Musketeers’ 75-63 victory. The win marks the next chapter of their tough, multi-year rebuild that Chambers has established over the past few seasons. 

Jerome is the early focal point of the season, making an immediate impact in her Xavier debut, earning early attention around the Big East. 

In the team’s first home game, they defeated the Akron Zips 70-54, led by Keija Ran’s 17 points. The six-foot freshman guard from Dazhou, China was drafted to the WNBA in April but chose to test her skills in the NCAA first to develop her game. 

The squad is off to a historic start after beating Northwestern in Chicago, scoring the most points in a game since 2018 after their 91-78 victory. Jerome has led the way in scoring, averaging 25 points per game, leading the Big East through the first few competitions. 

The team had not beaten a Big Ten opponent in almost 10 years, last defeating Michigan in December 2016. The Musketeers’ offense continued to shoot the lights out, dominating Northwestern and shooting 62% from the field, the highest field goal percentage in any game since February 2018. 

However, the team’s captain, Meri Kanerva, who was a Preseason All-Big East Honorable Mention selection, anchors the backcourt with Jerome. She started her campaign off right at Northwestern, shooting 100% from the field and going 10-13 from the free-throw line, finishing with 22 points to pair with eight assists. 

Kanerva has been the cornerstone of the team throughout the rebuild, now entering her third season with more to prove. Last season, she averaged 10.1 points per game, along with a mind-blowing 38.3 minutes per game, which led the entire NCAA. 

The Musketeers’ success is home-grown as well. Senior forward Diawna Carter-Hartley, a Cincinnati native, is averaging nine points and a team-high six rebounds a game. 

“Everyone wants to win and has the mindset of giving 100% effort every day,” Wehner said. 

Chamber’s team continue to have high aspirations for the upcoming non-conference schedule, facing off against in-state rivals Cleveland State, Ohio and Dayton in their next three games.