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Live Stats vs. St. John's | Live Stats vs. Seton Hall

Indianapolis - The Butler volleyball team returns home for a pair of conference matches this weekend at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Bulldogs (8-9, 2-2 BIG EAST) take on St. John's (11-7, 2-2) Friday at 6 p.m. before facing off with Seton Hall (9-9, 1-3) on Saturday at 4 p.m. Butler is coming off a roadtrip where it split matches at Georgetown (W 3-1) and Villanova (L 0-3).

Bulldog Bites
- Marissa McKelvey earned recognition on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for her strong play last weekend (76 assists, 27 digs, five kills and four blocks).
- McKelvey has averaged 40 assists, 13 digs and 2.25 kills per match since stepping in at setter over the last four matches.
- Jaymeson Kinley tallied 29 digs against Georgetown, her second-most of the season behind 31 vs. Youngstown St.
- Kinley leads the BIG EAST and ranks No. 7 nationally in total digs (329).
- Butler had its second-most kills of the season (60) vs. Georgetown, which is also the most in four sets or fewer for the Bulldogs. The team tied its season-high for aces with seven in the match.
- The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST in total attacks (2,412) and total digs (1,062), ranking No. 12 nationally in both categories.
- Melody Davidson ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring (265.5 points) and total kills (230), which are No. 30 and No. 35 nationally in those categories, respectively.
- Caroline Cleveland has upped her game in conference play, averaging 2.6 digs and 0.36 aces per set in BIG EAST matches compared to 1.6 digs and 0.24 aces per set in nonconference matches.
- Butler's opponents are outscoring the Bulldogs this season, 23.1 to 21.8 average score per set, through 62 sets.
- The Bulldogs went to extra points in a game for the second time this season against Georgetown in the match-clinching fourth set, winning 30-28.

SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S: The Red Storm check in with an 11-7 record (2-2 BIG EAST) after a big win over No. 16 Creighton in four sets followed by a 3-1 loss to Providence. St. John's is led by senior Preseason All-Big East right-side Rachele Rastelli in scoring (4.99 points/set) and kills (4.24/set) while adding 1.86 digs and 0.88 blocks per set. Rastelli was named the BIG EAST Conference Player of the Week for the second time this season after posting 22 kills, 10 digs and three aces in the upset win over Creighton. BIG EAST Preseason Player of the Year Efrosini Alexakou has been out for most of the last month, but averages 2.94 digs and 2.66 kills per set.

Butler leads the all-time series with the Red Storm 9-5. The Bulldogs won the home match and dropped the road match the last season the two programs played in 2019.

SCOUTING SETON HALL: The Pirates come to town with a 9-9 record (1-3 BIG EAST) after splitting their weekend matches with a five-set win over Providence and a three-set loss to Creighton. Seton Hall Gr. middle blocker Amanda Rachwal leads the conference in blocks with 82 (1.28/set) while also adding 96 kills on the season. The Pirates also lead the conference in team total blocks (160). Sophomore outside hitter Perri Lucas leads the team with 175 kills (2.78/set).

Butler leads the all-time series over Seton Hall 9-5, with the Bulldogs winning the last six matches in a row.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINES: Mariah Grunze (seven), Madison Friebel (six) and Marissa McKelvey (three) have each recorded multiple double-doubles in the first 17 contests of the season. Grunze averages 9.6 kills and 8.9 digs, while McKelvey has averaged 40 assists and 13 digs per match since filling in for Friebel at setter over the last two weekends.

Grunze recorded three consecutive double-doubles against Creighton, Providence and Georgetown.

KINLEY PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE: Libero Jaymeson Kinley recorded 29 digs in four sets against Georgetown. She has now recorded double-digits digs in every match but one so far while averaging 5.31 per set, which is on pace to break Megan Knightly's single-season program record set in 2005 of 5.29 digs/set.

Kinley secured a career-high 31 digs in the opening match of the Chippewa Invitational against Youngstown State.

DAVIDSON DOMINATES: Melody Davidson posted 18 kills at Georgetown, which is her second-best total of the season behind a career-high 24 against Eastern Kentucky.

Davidson has tallied double-digit kills in 13 of 17 matches this season and double-digit points in all but two of them. She is hitting .325 on the season (sixth in the BIG EAST) and on pace to have the third-best hitting percentage in a season in Butler volleyball history.

SETTER STEPPING UP: McKelvey has filled in admirably for Friebel over the last two weekends, with her 47 assists and four kills at Georgetown setting new career-highs.

Both marks tied Friebel for the most by a Butler setter in a match this season.

CAN YOU DIG IT: Butler's defense features five players averaging at least two digs per set, with Kinley (5.31), Friebel (2.67), Grunze (2.48), McKelvey (2.31) and Jillian Ziemba (2.23).

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

SHERIDAN SOARS: Megan Sheridan had a couple of breakout performances against Georgetown (eight kills) and Villanova (11) while hitting a combined .326 over the weekend.

The junior outside hitter's performance against the Wildcats set a new season-high, while her hitting percentages over the weekend were her two best of the season.

INJURY REPORT: The Bulldogs played without Friebel and Hannah Kelly against the Hoyas and Wildcats.

Butler has had at least five student-athletes miss matches this season due to injury/illness.

UP NEXT: Butler will continue BIG EAST Conference play next weekend with home matches against Villanova and Georgetown. The Bulldogs will host the Wildcats on Friday before matching up with the Hoyas on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Bulldogs sport a 10-6 record against the Wildcats after dropping last week's match at Villanova, while they improved the program's all-time record vs. the Hoyas to 13-3 with the win at Georgetown.