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INDIANAPOLIS - The Butler volleyball team returns home to Hinkle Fieldhouse for a pair of BIG EAST matches this weekend. The Bulldogs (14-13, 8-6 BIG EAST) square off with DePaul (15-11, 8-6) on Friday morning at 11 a.m. before meeting up with Marquette (21-4, 12-2) Sunday afternoon at 2 p.m. The matchup with the Blue Demons is particularly crucial in relation to the conference tournament, where only the top four teams will make it. Butler and DePaul are tied for fourth in the BIG EAST standings, with the winner putting itself in good position to make the playoffs.

Bulldog Bites
- Jaymeson Kinley was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week for her strong play over the weekend when she led the conference in dig/set (6.14) on 43 total digs.
- The conference leader in total digs (512) and digs per set (5.33) received the honor for the first time this season following four earlier appearances on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll.
- Melody Davidson ranks in the Top 5 in the BIG EAST with 390.5 points (second), 114 blocks (fourth) and 323 kills (fifth).
- Davidson has earned recognition on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll twice this season in addition to being named the conference's Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 25.
- The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST in total attacks (3,706) and attacks per set (38.6) and rank second in both total digs (1,615) and digs per set (16.82).
- The Bulldog defense has stepped up in recent weeks to now rank third in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.192) this season.
- The sweep over Providence also gave Butler a season sweep over the Friars, having previously won at home in late September.
- The Bulldogs have also won two matches over both Georgetown and St. John's, with one more opportunity left on the schedule (Xavier on Nov. 21) to win two matches over the same opponent.
- Butler (.193) and its opponents (.192) have similar hitting percentages on the season.
- The Bulldogs had their second-best hitting percentage of the season (.317) in the match at Providence while tying a season-low for attack errors with nine.

SCOUTING DEPAUL: The Blue Demons check in with a 15-11 record (8-6 BIG EAST) following last weekend's roadtrip where they won in four sets at St. John's then in five sets at Seton Hall. This will be the first meeting of the season between the two teams and will come with major conference tournament implications, as they are tied for fourth in the BIG EAST standings with the winner likely on the fast track to make the playoffs. DePaul ranks third in the conference in kills/set (13.4), while sophomore OH Jill Pressly ranks fourth with 3.52 kills/set. Sophomore L Rachel Krasowski was named the BIG EAST Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 30  and ranks third in the conference in digs/set (4.59).

Butler leads the all-time series 20-11 after dropping the two matches at DePaul during the Spring 2021 season.

SCOUTING MARQUETTE: The Golden Eagles tout a 21-4 record (12-2 BIG EAST) after winning at Seton Hall in four sets before taking a five-set match at St. John's last weekend. Like DePaul, Marquette is a single-play opponent on this season's conference schedule. The Golden Eagles are led by the versatile graduate student Taylor Wolf, who sees time at right-side hitter and setter and has been named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week three times this season. She has six triple-doubles on the season, which is tied for first nationally.

The Golden Eagles lead the all-time series over the Bulldogs 16-9. Butler split the Spring 2021 series, winning the first match in five sets on March 5.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Mariah Grunze (eight), Madison Friebel (eight) and Marissa McKelvey (four) have each recorded multiple double-doubles in the first 25 contests of the season. Grunze averages 9.5 kills and 7.8 digs, while Friebel has averaged 28.9 assists and 8.5 digs per match.

McKelvey averages 23.6 assists and 7.3 digs in BIG EAST matches this season.

KINLEY PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE: Libero Jaymeson Kinley recorded 13 digs at Providence and 30 at Creighton to average 6.14/set last week. The 30 digs is tied for the second-most in a conference match for any BIG EAST player this season. She has now recorded double-digit digs in every match but two so far while averaging 5.33 per set.

Kinley has reached the 20-dig mark in 13 matches this season.

DAVIDSON DOMINATES: Melody Davidson posted a season-best three digs in both matches last weekend, and has now gone for at least five kills and seven points in every match this season.

Davidson has tallied double-digit kills in 16 of 27 matches and double-digit points in all but five. She is hitting .329 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.

CAN YOU DIG IT: Butler's defense features five players averaging at least two digs per set, with Kinley (5.33), Friebel (2.39), Grunze (2.22), Caroline Cleveland (2.07) and McKelvey (2.00).

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

STEADY SCORING: Robinson (188 kills) and Amina Shackelford (174) have been consistent contributors for the Butler offense. Robinson averages 2.71 points per set, while Shackelford has scored 2.47 per set.

Robinson scored 11 points in both matches over the weekend and has tallied double-digit points in 8 of 14 conference matches and double-digit kills in five.

STEPPING UP: Megan Sheridan has provided steady offense in recent weeks for the Bulldogs. Sheridan has posted 71 kills (2.22/set) since the beginning of BIG EAST play.

Sheridan hits at a .259 efficiency in conference matches.

UP NEXT: Butler concludes the regular season with matches at UConn on Thursday and at home vs. Xavier on Sunday.

UConn won the first-ever matchup between the Bulldogs and Huskies earlier in the year in a match played on Halloween at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The Musketeers lead the all-time series with Butler 23-17, but the Bulldogs won 3-0 in late October in Cincinnati.