INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler volleyball team earned a signature win over Marquette on Wednesday afternoon by defeating the Golden Eagles 3-2 (25-22, 22-25, 18-25, 25-22, 15-11) at the Health and Recreation Center.

Marquette entered the match as one of the top teams in the conference standings, holding a 14-4 record that included a 5-1 mark against conference opponents. They were receiving votes in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll, but none of that would matter on Wednesday as the Bulldogs protected their home court with a 3-2 victory.

Two Bulldogs recorded a double-double in the match vs. Marquette with Makayla Ferguson coming up with 48 assists and a team-high 20 digs and Belle Obert hurting the Golden Eagles with 14 kills and 17 digs. Ferguson and Obert each approached a triple double on Wednesday afternoon as Ferguson added seven kills while Obert tallied seven blocks.

Erica Stahl and Stephanie Kranda also impacted the game on a high level with Stahl leading Butler with 15 kills. Stahl's cross court vision helped lead the Bulldogs to the finish line as she hit .467 with just one error against the Golden Eagles. Kranda took 35 swings on the day and ended the match with 13 kills.

Another Bulldog who stood up to the challenge in crunch time was Jessica Klingensmith who finished the match with six kills and a .286 attack percentage. Klingensmith was a spark off the bench for Butler as she also added two digs and two blocks.

The defensive effort from Butler was exceptional with four players recording a double figure dig total. Ferguson and Obert led the team respectively, but Brooke Ruffolo and Jadyn Yarling each came up big throughout the action combining for 25 digs.

Team blocks were important for the Bulldogs as Marquette entered the match with the top attack percentage in the conference. Butler ended up hitting .253 compared to .235 for the visitors. They were able to play at the net with a tall Marquette team, totaling 10.5 team blocks.

Sophomore Autumn Bailey led Marquette in a losing effort with 30 kills and 25 digs. Joining Bailey with a double-double performance was Nele Barber who ended the game with 11 kills and 15 digs.

Butler got off to a nice start by defeating Marquette 25-22 in the opening set. Ferguson, Kranda and Mary Striedl each recorded four kills to lead the team offensively. The Bulldogs opened up a 6-2 lead early in the action and held that lead for the remainder of the set. Marquette got within one point at 15-14, but the Bulldogs would come through with back-to-back kills to cushion the lead.

Bailey pushed Marquette back into the game at 24-22 which caused Head Coach Sharon Clark to call a BU timeout. The Bulldogs broke the huddle with a kill from Striedl that put them in front 1-0.

Set two featured another balanced attack from Butler as the Bulldogs saw four student-athletes record three kills. Bailey came alive for the Golden Eagles to pull the team even at 1-1 with seven kills during the set. Five ties and two lead changes would take place early in the competition as the two teams played to a 10-10 tie. A Marquette run moved the score to 17-13 in favor of the Golden Eagles which forced BU into calling their first timeout of the set.

A Marquette service error followed the break in the action and Butler got within two points at 21-19. This time a Marquette timeout stopped the momentum and Butler broke the huddle with a service error giving Marquette the three point lead. Kranda kept Butler alive at 23-21, but Bailey would finish off the set with her seventh kill to knot the match at 1-1.

Set three was the most lopsided of the afternoon as Marquette led from start to finish. The Golden Eagles jumped out to a 6-1 lead that ballooned into a 17-10 advantage. Stahl started to get in a rhythm offensively near the end of the set, but it wouldn't be quick enough as Marquette jumped up to the 2-1 lead.

Butler showed heart in the fourth set with their backs against the wall to send the match to a five set. Stahl picked up where she left off and led the team with five kills in the fourth. Butler hit .275 compared to .208 from the visitors to push the match to the limit.

The fourth set was tight in crunch time as a flurry of timeouts were called to stop momentum. Butler continued to feed Stahl and the senior delivered with clutch kills to move the 'Dawgs to set point. Obert would come up with a block at the end of the set to give Butler the 25-22 win.

Two of the top players in the BIG EAST conference went toe-to-toe in the fifth set as Obert supplied her team with 4.5 points and Bailey stepped up for six. Butler enjoyed an 8-6 lead as the two teams switched sides of the court, but that advantage would shrink to a one-point lead at 11-10 after a Bailey kill. Marquette went back to Bailey the very next serve, but this time Butler would earn the point after the attack error. Bailey led all players with 30 kills on the afternoon, but Obert would have the final statement of the match as she went off for three-straight kills to give Butler the victory.

Obert was part of a beautiful team block that stopped Bailey to give the 'Dawgs a 12-10 lead. The next two points were each off Obert kills as the Bulldogs reached match point with Stahl serving. Stahl would send her final serve of the match long to give the ball to Marquette, but Obert would not be denied as she slammed her 14th kill of the match to the court to give Butler the 3-2 victory.

Butler will now enter a grueling stretch of the 2014 season as they play their next five matches on the road. The extended time away starts with a 4 p.m. match at Xavier on Saturday, Oct. 18. Their next home match will be vs. Georgetown on Nov. 7.