The Seton Hall women’s volleyball team improved to 5-0 in Big East play and 15-3 on the season following their ninth-straight win at Xavier on Saturday.
Amanda Boyer/Photography Editor
With the victory, the Pirates lead in the Big East conference standings, with a perfect winning percentage in conference meetings and an .833 winning percentage overall where they have not lost since September 12th. The streak is also challenging the Hall’s 2012 season that saw the program go 12 straight from September 1, 2013 to September 28 of that same year. Even in that season, the blue and white only won six of 15 conference matches.
Saturday night closed in Cincinnati the Pirates closed out the Musketeers four sets. The Pirates battled 9-7 Xavier hard in the first set, as Xavier did not trail until the Pirates attack began to unfold down 18-17 in the first set, then grabbing the lead to go up 19-18. The two sides traded points throughout the first set, but after going ahead 21-20, Xavier was unable to overcome the Pirates, who finished the set with a 25-22 win.
In the second set, Xavier closed out the Hall 25-20, highlighted by a six-point run following a 14-14 tie, that saw the Musketeers go up 20-14, unable to survive the attack, the two sides were even at one win a piece heading into the third set.
In the third set, the Pirates went up 2 wins to 1 after a late offensive run of six points to close out the set 25-22 for the Hall.
In the fourth set, the Pirates traded points with the Musketeers in the latter stages of the set, but another six-point run came back to haunt Xavier who fell in the fourth set 25-21 to give SHU their third win on the road.
Sophomore Tessa Fournier led all Pirates in digs with 28 on Saturday, while junior Molly Grammer led all the blue and white women in kills, recording 12 on the evening. Chicago-native and sophomore Danielle Schroeder’s 11 kills were second most of all Pirates in the 3-1 win.
For the Manthorpe twins it was another day at the office. Stacey Manthorpe recorded 18 digs and 11 kills on the night, while Shelbey had 5 kills and 11 digs.
Action for women’s volleyball resumes on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. when the Hall gets set to welcome Creighton for their fifth-straight meeting with a conference opponent. The following day on Oct. 11, they will welcome another Big East opponent, Georgetown at 5 p.m.
Neal McHale can be reached at neal.mchale@student.shu.edu or on twitter @nealmchale.
