Nov. 17, 2006

Box Score

DAYTON, Ohio - In its opening match of the 2006 Atlantic 10 Championship, Xavier, the fourth seed, swept the fifth-seeded Charlotte 49ers to advance to the semifinals. Senior Danielle Skrajewski led the way for the Blue and White with 16 kills, while classmate Astyn Bjorklund and junior Jill Quayle controlling the middle of the net to combine for five block assists. With the win, the Musketeers move to 18-11 on the season and the loss moves Charlotte to 20-12 overall.

"I thought our kids played hard, as hard as we have all season," said head coach Floyd Deaton. "It was the best defensive match we have played all season and we had to because Charlotte was a team that made us play our best match. It was a great team effort and Mo (Amanda Ault) and Ben (Rottinghaus) did a great job of getting the girls ready to play."

In only the sixth meetings between the two schools, Xavier took the match with scores of 30-26, 30-28 and 30-23. The Musketeers now hold a 4-2 advantage in the all-time series between the two schools. The match marked the first time the two teams squared off in the A-10 Championships.

After Charlotte grabbed the early 1-0 lead to start the game, the Musketeers would score the next two points and take the lead for good, 2-1, after an ace by sophomore Jenn Welsh. Four ties would ensue with the last coming at 9-9 before XU pulled ahead with a 4-0 spurt to take the 13-9 lead. The 49ers would get as close as 24-23 within the closing points of the game but a quick Xavier timeout would break the rally and take six of the last nine points of the game. XU's two middles were active in the win as senior Astyn Bjorklund and junior Jill Quayle each had five kills in the opening game. Freshman Lauren Kaminsky led the back row with five digs.

The second game started with Xavier carrying the momentum gained from the opening game into the first few points but Charlotte would not go away quietly. With XU leading 9-8, the 49ers took the lead and rallied to push it to seven points at 18-11. The Musketeers would mount their own run to climb back into the game and score six-straight to pull within 19-20. Charlotte would remain in control and answer point for point as Xavier tried to take the lead before finally succumbing to the pressure and letting XU tie the score at 25-25 with blocks by Quayle and Jenni Horvath. The Blue and White would take its first lead since the 9-8 mark after a kill by Quayle made the score 26-25. Both teams would battle to the end with three ties taking place over the final six points of the game. A timeout by Xavier with the score knotted at 28-28 would prove key as the Musketeers took the final two points and the game.

The third and final game saw XU take the first point of the game and not look back as they would not relinquish lead. Charlotte would comes as close as 24-23 in the final points of the contest but strong play at the net would lead to Xavier taking the final six points of the game and taking the match.

Skrajewski led the way for the Musketeers as the senior tallied a match-high 16 kills and a .448 hitting percentage to go along with five digs and two block assists. Bjorklund and Quayle each notched 11 kills on the evening and three and two block assists, respectively. Sophomore Jenn Welsh directed an outstanding game as the setter dished out 36 assists and recorded a match-high three aces and a team-high 10 digs.

Xavier is now 17-0 when out-hitting opponents this season and 12-1 when committing 20 or fewer attack errors. The Musketeers are now 4-5 in opening round matches in the A-10 Championship and 5-7 overall.

Xavier will now get set to play top-seeded Dayton tomorrow evening at 7:30 pm from the Frericks Center on the campus of the University of Dayton. The Musketeers and Flyers split during the season with each team winning on their home courts. UD is also the most-played team in the history of Xavier volleyball with the meeting marking the 56th time the two schools will play. Saint Louis defeated Fordham in the opening match of the championship and will now play second-seed Temple in the 5:00 pm match tomorrow evening.