STATS: Cincinnati | Xavier | IU    VIDEO: Cincinnati | Xavier

CINCINNATI, Ohio – The Eastern Kentucky University volleyball team will travel to Cincinnati, Ohio this weekend to take part in the Xavier Tournament hosted by Xavier University and the University of Cincinnati.
 
The Colonels will take on Cincinnati at UC at 1 p.m. on Friday; followed by a match against Xavier at 7:30 p.m. EKU will return to Xavier on Saturday to take on Indiana University.
 
Free live statistics will be available for each match. Live video will be provided for matches against Cincinnati and Xavier.
 
WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW:
 
-The Colonels (1-8) took down Cal State Fullerton last weekend before dropping matches to Fordham and UNLV at the Rebel Challenge.   
-Senior Chloe Rojas is leading the defensive effort for the Colonels, tallying 134 digs on the season.
-Kaylin Johnson is leading the squad at the net with 33 blocks on the season.
-Cassie Knutson leads offensively with 85 putaways on the year.
- Rojas was the third Colonel to take Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year following the 2017 campaign.
-Rojas and Knutson were each named to the preseason all-conference team.
-Head Coach Lori Duncan is entering her 21^st and final season.
-The Colonels return eight, welcome in two transfers and bring in five freshmen.
 
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS:
 
CINCINNATI
-The Bearcats are 7-2 on the season and 5-1 in matches that have gone to five sets.
-UC took part in the Duke Invitational last weekend where it fell to the home team, but took down East Tennessee State and Coastal Carolina.
-Redshirt junior Jordan Thompson was named the AAC Player of the Week this week for the second week in a row. She leads the team with 236 kills (5.90 kills-per-set), 95 digs and 13 service aces.
-Freshman Armania Heckenmueller is leading the team with 212 assists on the season, senior Jade Tingelhoff is close behind with 203.
 
XAVIER
-The Musketeers are 1-7 on the season, but are riding a six-match losing streak after falling in a total of 10 sets last weekend to #19 Purdue, Louisville and Lipscomb.
-Xavier has been shutout in 5-of-8 matches on the season.
-Senior Laura Grossman leads the team with 83 kills.
-Senior McKena Estes leads the team with 140 assists.
-Redshirt senior Meredith Klare is leading the charge defensively with 101 digs.
 
INDIANA
-The Hoosiers are 6-2 on the season after winning 2-of-3 last weekend at Ball State's tournament.
-Steve Aird is in his first season as head coach, last season he was an assistant under the winningest coach in history, Russ Rose, at Penn State.
-Redshirt junior Kendall Beerman is leading the team offensively with 101 kills, but freshman Breana Edwards is following closely behind with 97 putaways.
-Bayli Lebo is leading the team with 140 digs. The sophomore finished third on the team last season with 209.
 
WHAT'S NEXT:
-EKU will open conference play at McBrayer Arena, welcoming in Tennessee Tech on September 21 and Jacksonville State on September 22.