EMU Volleyball Travels Down to Ohio for Xavier Tournament

Volleyball at Xavier Tournament
Date	Friday, Sept. 2 at 3 p.m. \| Saturday, Sept. 3 at 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.
Venue	Memorial Gymnasium \| Cincinnati, Ohio
Preview Info	EMU Notes
Watch	Flo Volleyball
Live Stats	Live Stats
Twitter	@EMUVolleyball \| @EMUAthletics

CINCINNATI, Ohio (EMUEagles.com) - The Eastern Michigan University volleyball team will continue their non-conference road slate Friday, Sept. 2, against Purdue Fort Wayne at 3 p.m. before taking on a pair of matches the next day versus the tournament host, Xavier University at 12:30 p.m. and the University of Virginia following at 4 p.m.
   Fans can watch the action live with a paid FloVolleyball subscription. Of course, you can follow the action for free via live stats at EMUEagles.com/livestats.

CATCHING FLIGHT: Three freshman Eagles made their career debuts at the Auto Owners Spartan Invitational with Sabrina Gremm also collecting her first career start. Carlina Bender appeared in six sets, gathering her first 14 career digs. Emma McMahon made an appearance in 12 sets, earning a start, and 36 digs. Making a debut as an Eagles for the first time was sophomore transfer MeKayla Koger, who registered three kills and two block assists in just two sets.

DOUBLE-DIGIT TRIO: Eastern Michigan had three players in double figures in kills against Fairfield University, Aug. 26. Sabrina Gremm led the way with a career-high 15 kills. Krista Blakely followed behind with 14 kills, just three shy of her career high. A force on both sides of the ball, Raeven Chase gathered 12 kills on 22 swings for a game-high .409 hitting percentage.
   Additionally, EMU had three players in double figures in digs. Filling the stat sheet was Gremm with 12 digs on the match for her second double-double of the day (Aug. 26).

MISS ASSIST: Eastern Michigan attackers were helped by a two-time match-high 46 assists from junior Olivia Szylar against both the University of Louisisana and Fairfield University, Aug. 26. That number is a new career-high for the third-year Eagle. Her previous high 1 assist came in her sophomore season at Oakland, Sept. 5, 2021.

NINE AWAY: Senior Samantha Basham had a team-high 11 kills for Eastern Michigan and her second block assist of the season against the University of Louisiana, Aug. 26, to improve her total blocks number to 91. Basham is just nine shy from her next milestone of 100 blocks.

AMAZING ACE: Kendall Burk had a match-high four aces in her career debut as a sophomore at Michigan State, Aug. 26. Additionally, the Bloomington, Ind. native registered a career-high 19 assists in the match, playing all five sets. The four service aces is the most by any Eagle in a match this season.

CAN YOU DIG IT?: Kamryn Stilwell led the Eagles in digs with a match-high of 19 against Louisiana, Aug. 26. A common trend for the Parma, Ohio native, she is coming off a 2021 season in which she led the team in digs 29 times.
   Freshman Emma McMahon registered a match-high 19 digs at Michigan State. The rookie improved upon her career-high eight digs, which was previously set against the University of Louisiana, Aug. 26.

CHASE-IN RECORDS: Senior Raeven Chase finished the 2021 season seventh all-time with 62 career solo blocks, tied with former Eagle Cassie Haut (2015-19). Just three matches into the 2022 campaign, Chase secured sole-possession of seventh all-time with 69 block solos, trailing the No. 6 position held by Lindsay Piccolini (2003-06), by eight block solos. Former all-region selection Roxanne Munch (1986-1989) holds the record at 140 career solo blocks.
   Chase's 36 blocks solo in the 2021 campaign was good for eighth in EMU's single-season history books. Former Eagle Cornelia Koller holds the top spot for most block solos in a single season with 97 in 1983. Chase's six block solos in a single match, which came against Louisiana, Aug. 26, ties for the fifth-most single match block solos in program history. Four others have accomplished the feat. Her six block solos against the Rajin' Cajuns is also the most by any Eastern Michigan player in a single match since the 1989 season, when Roxanne Munch hit that number against Notre Dame, Oct. 7.

ALL-TIME VS. PURDUE FORT WAYNE: The Eagles and Mastodons have history coming into their matchup dating back to their first meeting in 2001, when the Eagles swept in three sets for the first win of the banter. This contest will be the 21st all-time between the two schools. Purdue Fort Wayne leads the ledger, 11-9, and holds the longer win streak between the two with seven straight coming in the years 2006-2011.

LAST TIME VERSUS THE MASTODONS: Eastern's most recent contest as well as win over the Indiana institution came in 2019, when the Eagles took down their foe, 3-1, Sept. 17, in Ypsilanti, Mich. Raeven Chase led the team in blocks (6) with five block assists and the only block solo of the match from the Eagles.

ALL-TIME VS. XAVIER: Eastern and Xavier will meet for the eigth time in their respective program histories Friday, Sept. 2. The Eagles lead the Musketeers with an overall 4-3 record, however the Cincinnati, Ohio-based team has taken victories over the Eagles in the last three straight contests.

LAST TIME VERSUS THE MUSKETEERS: The last time the two school's met was in 2019 at the Utah State Tournament in Logan, Utah, where the Eagle's fell in a 3-1 matchup (Aug. 31) to close out their time in the west. Overall, the Musketeers outhit the Eagles .333 to .238, while EMU out-blocked XU, eight to seven.

ALL-TIME VS. VIRGINIA: The Eagles and Cavaliers will battle for the fourth time in their all-time history Saturday inside the Memorial Gymnasium. The Green and White currently lead the series, 2-1. The first meeting between the two came in 1986 at a neutral site when EMU swept in three sets (Sept. 26). Then, the two met again in 1990 in Dayton, Ohio for another Eagles 3-0 victory (Sept. 8), before their most recent match in 2014.

LAST TIME AGAINST THE CAVALIERS: The most recent contest came in 2014, when Virginia took its first victory over the Eagles. In a four-set match, the Cavaliers took down the Eagles 3-1in Huntington, W.Va. (Aug. 30).

ON THE HORIZON: Following the Xavier Tournament, the Eagles will remain on the road for another non-conference tournament, the DePaul Invitational, hosted by DePaul University in Chicago, Ill. EMU will take on Virginia Tech University, Friday, Sept. 9 at 11 a.m. central, with a 4 p.m. central matchup following against Saint Louis University. Then, to top off the weekend, Eastern will see the tournament host on Saturday, Sept. 10 at 11 a.m. central.

FOLLOW THE ACTION ALL SEASON LONG: Stay connected with the Eagles all season long by following @EMUVolleyball and @EMUAthletics on Twitter for all of the latest EMU volleyball updates. Be sure to also follow the Green and White on Instagram, @EMU_Volleyball.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Samantha Basham

Carlina Bender

Krista Blakely

Kendall Burk

Raeven Chase

Sabrina Gremm

Emma McMahon

Kamryn Stilwell

Olivia Szylar

Eastern Michigan Athletics