Harris injures knee, out 3-4 months
Knee surgery signals trouble for team; Phillips to see expanded role
Ken Burton
Sports Writer
goxavier.com
Junior forward Amber Harris had been picked a second team preseason All-American by the Sporting News.
The Xavier women’s basketball team suffered a monumental blow in their first week of practice, when forward Amber Harris, chosen as a second team preseason All-American by the Sporting News, injured her left knee. Harris will likely be out for the duration of the season.
With Amber Harris as the center piece of an already deep and experienced team, the Xavier Musketeers had national preseason recognition pouring in.
USA Today called the Musketeers one of the top 16 teams in the country.
Athlon Magazine had them at number 21. Sporting News had them ranked number 22.
Harris was to be called upon to lead the Musketeers to what head coach Kevin McGuff said was going to be “a special year.”
All of that changed last week when Xavier fans were given the bad news: “Amber Harris underwent a surgical procedure today on her left knee,” said Dr. Robert Burger of Beacon Orthopedics. “She had a piece of displaced cartilage removed and a graft put in place to address an osteochondral defect. It is anticipated that she will need three to four months of healing time.”
McGuff says the team “will remain hopeful that Amber can impact us at some point this year.” This seems unlikely, however, as the regular season will end four months from today.
With only two years in the program the 6’6” junior has already scored over 1,000 points and holds the career record for blocks at Xavier. With 598 career boards, she ranks 10th in Xavier history.
Last year, while leading the team to the NCAA tournament, Harris averaged 15.3 points and 8.9 rebounds per game for Xavier.
“I couldn’t be more disappointed for Amber,” said McGuff.
“She has worked extremely hard and had put herself in position to be among
the best players in the country. I am pleased that the procedure was a success
and I look forward to supporting Amber during the rehabilitation process.”
While the loss of such a talented player is certainly a blow to the Musketeers,
all hope is not lost for a promising season. The Musketeer coaching staff has
assembled a balanced team with depth in the front court.
Indubitably, last year’s Atlantic 10 Rookie of the Year, Ta’Shia
Phillips, will be asked to shoulder much of the load left over from Harris’
absence.
Despite running into injury trouble last year herself, Phillips was outstanding.
She averaged 14 points per game and recorded 18 double-doubles, ranking first
nationally among freshmen.
Phillips also averaged 11.2 rebounds per game on her way to breaking Harris’ single season rebounding mark.
As a freshman. Phillips ranked fifth in the country with 378 rebounds.
The offseason allowed the 50 percent labrum tear in Phillips’ shoulder to fully heal, which, along with the loss of Harris, means even higher expectations for the rising sophomore.
“I think ... now (my teammates) know what I can do after seeing me go through that last season,” Phillips said. “Now, they expect even more out of me.”
Volleyball has up and down weekend
First conference loss comes at the hands of nationally ranked SLU
Scott Mueller
Asst. Sports Editor
After topping Duquesne University on Friday, Oct.24 3-1 to extend their conference winning streak to seven matches, the Xavier University volleyball team dropped their first conference match to the Saint Louis Billikens on Sunday, 3-0.
On Friday, the Musketeers got off to a slow start, dropping the first set, 25-22. The first set featured 10 ties, more than the rest of the match combined.
After the first set, Xavier rebounded and controlled the rest of the match. In the second set, with the score tied at eight, senior Megan Hellman rattled off five aces in a row to give Xavier the lead for good, and forcing Duquesne to call a timeout. Xavier would go on to win the set 25-16.
Xavier was challenged in the third set, never gaining a larger lead than three points, until the Musketeers broke open a 15-13 set with a 10-4 run to close out the set, 25-17.
In the fourth set, Xavier once again controlled the action almost the entire time. The only time Xavier trailed was at 2-1, when they would go on an 11-2 run to take total control of the match.
Xavier would close out the set, 25-20, and the match, 3-1. Junior Kelly Ruth had Xavier’s only double-double, recording 12 kills and 17 digs.
On the night, Xavier recorded 10 service aces, including the five in a row from Hellmann. The 10 aces are a season high for Xavier, besting the eight they had against Toledo and Drake.
On Sunday, the Musketeers again remained on the road, this time playing in St. Louis. The Billikens, ranked 25th, are nationally ranked for the first time in their history and have an undefeated A-10 record.
Head Coach Floyd Deaton said before the start of A-10 play, “Saint Louis is supposed to be the cream of the crop this year.” SLU certainly played like they were the cream of the crop, defeating Xavier convincingly in straight sets.
In the first two sets, Xavier never led and only managed to tie the score twice. In the first set, SLU quickly jumped ahead taking a commanding lead at 10-5.
They never relented, as Xavier droped the first set 25-19. In the second set, SLU was even more dominant, starting with a 9-2 run to open the set.
Xavier would never score more than two points in a row, and dropped the second set 25-13. The third set opened up closely, with Xavier holding a slim lead at 4-3.
However, a 7-2 run from SLU would put them ahead for good. SLU closed out the set, 25-16, and the match, 3-0. For the match SLU had 46 kills to Xavier’s 26.
The Musketeers will look to get back to winning on Thursday, Oct. 30 when they take on Dayton at the Cintas Center at 7:00 p.m.
The game will likely determine the positioning of the Atlantic 10 Western division as Dayton is tied with Xavier for second in the division at 7-1 in the A-10 - each has a loss to St. Louis on their record.
Soccer splits weekend
Ken Burton
Sports Writer
It was the Jimmy Cummings Show for the Xavier Musketeers men’s soccer team this past weekend.
On Friday, it was Cummings’ 87th minute goal that put away a pesky LaSalle Explorer team 1-0 at the Xavier Soccer Complex.
Cummings headed a deep ball kicked into the box from Andy Dimbi past LaSalle keeper Andrew Bernhard.
The late goal was the lone shot to find the back of the net, despite both teams combining for 30 shots in the game.
Freshman keeper Ryan Engleman was inserted into the starting lineup for just the second time this season, and it paid off as he deflected three shots on his way to his first career shutout.
El-Hadji Dieng also registered a game-high six shot attempts in the Musketeers’ victory.
The game evened the overall records of the two teams to 2-9-3.
After the hard-fought match, the Musketeers would host the Fordham Rams, a team they hadn’t lost to in five years.
A first half header from Fordham’s John Pardini off a corner kick that found the back post seemed to dash the hopes of the suddenly confident Musketeers.
Again, Andy Dimbi played the role of field general as he found Ricardo Sutherland who placed a perfect ball to a streaking Cummings for the score, his second goal of the season.
Engleman again started in goal, but didn’t fare as well the second time around. While he only allowed two goals, the second was an 83rd minute back-breaker.
Rams’ senior Steve Woicik struck the game winner, keeping the Rams above .500 for the season and in conference play.
The Musketeers, on the other hand, fell to 2-10-3 on the season and 1-3-2 in the A-10.
The Musketeers will meet the Hawks of St. Joseph’s on Friday, Oct. 31 in Philadelphia, before heading across town to meet the Temple Owls on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Women fall short in A-10 play
Ken Burton
Sports Writer
It was another tough weekend for the Xavier women’s soccer team.
The Musketeers first hit the road to battle the Billikens of Saint Louis University last Friday, Oct. 24.
Junior keeper Kelly Farrell recorded five saves but an early second half shot from the foot of Julia Bradenberg squeaked through from about six yards out. The Musketeers, who would not register a shot on goal for the game, lost 0-1.
The Musketeers then headed east to face off the nationally ranked Charlotte 49ers, a team in the midst of an eight game conference undefeated streak.
Charlotte celebrated their annual senior night in grand fashion by scoring five goals, all assisted by midfielder Sam Huecker. The 49ers dominated the Musketeers all night, as evidenced by the 22-9 shot differential.
With the losses, the Musketeers fall to 1-14-2 overall and 0-7-2 in the A-10. Xavier will look to end the regular season on a high note at home, meeting LaSalle on Friday, Oct. 31 and Fordham on Sunday, Nov. 2.
Doug Tifft
Sports Editor
Women’s tennis just short at ITA event
The women’s tennis team fell out of contention at the ITA Midwest Regional on Friday.
Senior Kara Courtney was one win shy of qualifying for the main draw, but lost in the third round to Michigan State’s Whitney Wilson.
Courtney had won two matches the previous day to advance to the third round.
Sophomore Tifanie Treece was defeated in her first singles match, but rebounded to win a consolation match.
In doubles action, Courtney and senior Jeanette Feider fell in the first round to a team from Butler, 8-4.
Later in the day, the doubles team was able to bounce back and defeat a team from Youngstown St. in a consolation match, 8-4.
The end of the tournament marked the end of action for the team until January when their dual meet season starts.
Men’s golf closes out fall season strong
The Xavier men’s golf team wrapped up its fall season with a sixth place finish at the Landfall Tradition in Wilmington, N.C.
Sophomore Peter O’Neill led the Musketeers with a plus 8 for the three round event. O’Neill improved his score every day, shooting rounds of 78-74-72. His score was good enough for a tenth place tie overall.
Freshman Sebastian MacLean had two rounds of 77 and a final round of 73 to finish tied for 17th.
Junior Alan Glynn had a great third round of 71, one under par. Senior Mike Beausejour finished 22 over and tied for 45th.
The event concludes Xavier’s fall season. The spring season will begin in March.
