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The Butler volleyball team is scheduled to play its first split weekend of the BIG EAST season with matches at Xavier on Friday night at 6 p.m. and at home vs. UConn Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. The Bulldogs (12-11, 6-4 BIG EAST) look to continue the momentum from last weekend when they won matches at Seton Hall and St. John's. The two matches will have conference standings implications as the Musketeers (5-5 BIG EAST) and Huskies (7-3) are both within one game of Butler.

Bulldog Bites
- Melody Davidson was named BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week after leading the conference with 2.71 blocks/set (19 total) over the weekend. Her 11 blocks at St. John's set a new season-high for any BIG EAST player in a match.
- Davidson also added 19 kills on a .356 hitting percentage combined in the two matches. She ranks second in the conference in scoring (350.5 points) and total kills (296) this season.
- Jaymeson Kinley leads the BIG EAST in total digs (431) and digs per set (5.19), ranking No. 10 and No. 16 nationally in those categories, respectively.
- Butler totaled a season-best 14 blocks at St. John's, which ties for the fifth-most by a BIG EAST team in a conference match this season and ninth-most for a conference team in any match.
- The Bulldog defense combined for 24 blocks at Seton Hall and St. John's, which was the most in a conference weekend by eight (16 combined vs. Creighton and Providence in late September).
- The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST in total attacks (3,181) and rank second in both total digs (1,382) and digs per set (16.65).
- Caroline Cleveland has upped her game in conference play, averaging 2.5 digs and 0.4 aces per set in BIG EAST matches compared to 1.6 digs and 0.24 aces per set in nonconference matches.
- Cleveland ranks No. 7 in the BIG EAST in aces per set in conference matches, while her 12 total aces in conference play is tied for sixth.
- Closest to Home: Jaymeson Kinley's hometown of Lexington, Ky., is only 73 miles (straight-line distance) from Cincinnati, or about an 82-mile drive.

SCOUTING XAVIER: The Musketeers check in with a 10-11 record (5-5 BIG EAST) following last weekend's roadtrip where they were swept by Seton Hall and St. John's. The Musketeers have a 4-1 record in five-set matches this season. Sophomore MB Delaney Hogan leads the team with 169 kills (2.28/set), while sophomore L Stevie Wolf (267) and senior MB Ellie Chaffee (68) lead Xavier in digs and blocks, respectively.

Xavier leads the all-time series 23-16 after winning both matches in the Spring 2021 season in four sets. The Bulldogs swept both matches between the teams in 2019.

SCOUTING UCONN: The Huskies check in with a 15-7 record (7-3 BIG EAST) after losing to Marquette in four sets before sweeping DePaul to split last week's matches. Senior MB Kennadie Jake-Turner leads the conference in attack percentage (.349) while being tied for seventh in the BIG EAST with 26 aces. Senior OH Caylee Parker leads the Huskies with 260 kills while junior L Karly Berkland (342) has totaled the most digs on the team.

This will be the first-ever matchup between Butler and UConn in volleyball.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Mariah Grunze (seven), Madison Friebel (seven) and Marissa McKelvey (four) have each recorded multiple double-doubles in the first 23 contests of the season. Grunze averages 9.4 kills and 8.0 digs, while Friebel has averaged 31.8 assists and 8.5 digs per match.

McKelvey averages 25.5 assists and 8.5 digs in BIG EAST matches this season.

KINLEY PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE: Libero Jaymeson Kinley recorded 17 digs at St. John's last Sunday while adding four assists. She has now recorded double-digit digs in every match but two so far while averaging 5.19 per set, which is within striking distance of breaking Megan Knightly's single-season program record set in 2005 of 5.29 digs/set.

Kinley has reached the 20-dig mark in 11 matches this season.

DAVIDSON DOMINATES: Melody Davidson posted 19 blocks (five solo, 14 assist) last weekend to earn BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week honors.

Davidson has tallied double-digit kills in 16 of 23 matches this season and double-digit points in all but three of them. She is hitting .334 on the season (fourth in the BIG EAST) and on pace to have the third-best hitting percentage in a season in Butler volleyball history.

CAN YOU DIG IT: Butler's defense features four players averaging at least two digs per set, with Kinley (5.19), Friebel (2.33), Grunze (2.26) and  McKelvey (2.16). Caroline Cleveland (1.99) and Jillian Ziemba (1.98) average just below two digs per set.

In addition to Kinley, Friebel, Grunze, McKelvey, Cleveland and Ziemba, Bulldogs with double-digit digs in a match this season include Hannah Kelly and Brittany Robinson.

STEADY SCORING: Robinson (159 kills) and Amina Shackelford (144) have been consistent contributors for the Butler offense. Robinson averages 2.69 points per set, while Shackelford has scored 2.41 per set.

Robinson tied a season-high of 15 kills at St. John's on a season-best .464 hitting percentage. She added three block assists and an ace for 17.5 points (another season-high).

STEPPING UP: Destiny Cherry and Megan Sheridan have provided steady offense in recent weeks for the Bulldogs. Cherry has totaled 23 kills (1.6/set) over the last four matches while Sheridan has posted 46 kills (2.4/set) since the beginning of BIG EAST play.

Sheridan hits at a .276 efficiency in conference matches.

MOVING ON UP: With the three consecutive wins, Butler has improved its position in the conference standings to alone in fourth place.

The top four in the conference standings travel to Milwaukee in late November for the BIG EAST Tournament.

UP NEXT: Butler will hit the road for matches at Providence on Friday night and at Creighton on Sunday afternoon.

The Bulldogs have a 14-0 record against the Friars after sweeping them at home on Sept. 25. The Bluejays lead the all-time series with Butler 16-1 after winning in four sets in Hinkle Fieldhouse on Sept. 24.