Seniors Shine, Despite Five-Set Loss to Xavier

Saturday, November 18

South Orange, N.J.

7:00 PM

Seton Hall University

16-15, 10-8

Xavier

13-19, 8-10

Xavier

Seton Hall

11/18/2017 10:52:00 PM | Women's Volleyball

Box Score HOME INFO BOX SCORE

SOUTH ORANGE, N.J. – Seniors Sharay Barnes (Swarthmore, Pa.), Sarah Kenneweg (Poolesville, Md.) and Dominique Mason (Chicago, Ill.) each turned in one of their best efforts of the season, but the Seton Hall women's volleyball team was outlasted by Xavier, 3-2 (28-30, 25-20, 25-21, 22-25, 11-15), in the 2017 season finale on Saturday.

The Pirates' postseason fate was determined long before their five-set marathon with Xavier ended. Villanova swept Providence to clinch the final BIG EAST Tournament berth.

Mason was brilliant in her final match as a Pirate, tying her career high with 25 kills, only six attack errors and a .388 attack percentage. Mason also had 12 digs and four blocks. Kenneweg, the Pirates' lone four-year senior, recorded her first career double-double in her 125^th and final match. She finished with a team-high 18 digs to go with a career-high 11 assists. Barnes finished with 12 kills, only two attack errors and an impressive .385 attack percentage.

For the first time in program history, five Pirates registered double-doubles.

SET 1:
The opening frame set the tone for the match with the teams combining for seven lead changes and 14 ties, and both teams were in set point at the end of the match. Trailing 24-23, a block by Abby Thelen (Ft. Mitchell, Ky.) tied the set and staved off the first of three straight Xavier set points. A block by Mason and Haylee Gasser (Mission Viejo, Calif.) put the Pirates in set point, 28-27, but the Musketeers responded with three straight points to win the epic opener, 30-28.

SET 2:
Trailing 8-7, the Pirates scored five straight points, and back-to-back aces by Gasser put The Hall in front for good, 12-8. Xavier cut the Pirate lead to one point on six separate occasions, but Seton Hall ended the set with a 6-2 burst to win, 25-20. The Hall had a match-high .344 attack percentage in the second set, led by seven kills from Mason.

SET 3:
The Pirates kept up the pressure in set three, but had to rally for the win. Trailing 16-11, Seton Hall went on a 10-2 run, and back-to-back kills by Thelen put it on top, 21-18. Again, Xavier rallied with three straight points to tie the set at 21, but the Pirates scored the final four points of the set to win, 25-21, and take a 2-1 match lead.

SET 4:
The fourth set was another back-and-forth affair with the teams tying eight times. Trailing 22-19, the Pirates rallied for three straight points, and an ace by Miranda Higginbotham (Dallas, Texas) tied the set at 22. But the Musketeers rallied to score the last three points of the set and tie the match at two sets apiece.

SET 5:
Seton Hall roared out of the break in set five and appeared poised to finish the season with a victory. The Pirates scored six of the first seven points, and a kill by Barnes put The Hall in front, 6-1. Xavier responded however, with a 13-3 run of their own to enter match point at 14-9. The Pirates were able to stave off two match points, but ultimately fell, 15-11.

Inside the Numbers:

Thelen finished with 16 kills, 11 digs and three blocks.
Junior Sophia Coffey (Sierra Madre, Calif.) had a double-double with a team-high 25 assists to go with 10 digs.
Sophomore Maggie Cvelbar (Euclid, Ohio) had a double-double with 21 assists and 11 digs.
Junior Caitlin Koska (Franklin, Wis.) had eight kills and four blocks.
Seton Hall recorded a .234 attack percentage for the match, while Xavier attacked at a .247 clip.
The Hall had 65 team kills, while Xavier had 75.
The Pirates totaled 70 team digs, while Xavier had 71.

News & Notes:

Seton Hall finishes the season with a final overall record of 16-15 overall and 10-8 mark in the BIG EAST.
Xavier improves to 13-19 overall and 8-10 in the BIG EAST.
The Pirates fall to 7-5 at home this season.
With 18 digs tonight, Kenneweg passes former Pirate Sarah Osmun into eighth place on the Pirates' career digs list with 1,109.
Coffey notched her 13^th double-double of the season and the team-leading 31^st of her career.
Mason's double-double is her 10th of the season and the 11th of her career.
Thelen's double-double is the sixth of her career.
Cvelbar's double-double is her sixth of the season and the seventh of her career.
Coffey played in her 92^nd consecutive match, which leads all active Pirates.
Thelen reached the 15-kill mark for the 14th time this season and the 23^rd time in her career.
Mason reached the 15-kill mark for the sixth time this season and the 10^th time in her career.
The Pirates fall to 3-7 all-time against Xavier
Seton Hall is now 4-5 in five-set matches this season.