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VALPARAISO, IND. - The Butler volleyball team will play Valparaiso on Thursday night at 8 p.m. in Northern Indiana in the first round of the National Invitational Volleyball Championship (NIVC). The Bulldogs (16-15, 10-8 BIG EAST) meet up with the Beacons (22-9, 12-6 Missouri Valley Conference) for the second time this year after dropping a match to Valpo in three sets during the Spring 2021 season. The winner of this match will go on to play Friday night at 7 p.m. in Valpo against the winner of the match between Indiana State and Toledo.

Bulldog Bites
- Melody Davidson earned BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week honors for her play during the last week of the regular season, posting a combined 4.21 points/set (29.5 total) on 22 kills and 11 blocks (four solo, seven assist).
- Davidson is the only conference player to win both BIG EAST Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week this season, having previously won the Defensive award on Oct. 25.
- Jaymeson Kinley wrapped up her regular season with 19 digs and five assists at UConn and 23 digs and six assists vs. Xavier before being named the BIG EAST Libero of the Year.
- The conference leader in total digs (595) and digs per set (5.41) has four appearances on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll this season in addition to being named the conference Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 8.
- The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST in attacks per set (38.87) and rank second in digs per set (16.95).
- The Bulldog defense has stepped up in recent weeks to now rank fourth in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.192) this season.
- Butler won both matches in a week of conference play for the second time this season with the wins over UConn and Xavier (also Oct. 23-24 at Seton Hall and St. John's).
- Butler has outblocked its opponents 240 to 193.5 this season, or 2.18 to 1.76 per set.
- Closest to Home: Lauren Hughes' hometown of Naperville, Ill., is 60 miles (straight-line distance) from Valparaiso, Ind., or about a 77-mile drive.

SCOUTING VALPARAISO: The Beacons tout a 22-9 record (12-6 Missouri Valley) following a win over Evansville in four sets before falling to top-seeded Loyola in five sets in the semifinals of the conference tournament. Valpo is 8-1 in home matches, which is the program's best home record since 2009. The Beacons lead the MVC in digs/set (16.92), while 5th-year libero Rylee Cookerly leads the conference in digs/set with 4.88 and has the second-most career digs in NCAA Division I volleyball history with 3,105.

Butler leads the all-time series 27-10 after Valpo won in three sets during the Spring 2021 season.

SCOUTING INDIANA STATE: The Sycamores check in with an 18-12 record (9-9 Missouri Valley) following a 3-0 win over No. 3-seed Bradley and a three-set loss to No. 2-seed Illinois State in the MVC Tournament last weekend. Indiana State ranks second in the conference and No. 36 nationally with 16.51 digs/set, while senior libero Melina Tedrow's 4.58 digs/set ranks third in the MVC.

Butler leads the all-time series 18-7 after beating the Sycamores in five sets on Feb. 4.

SCOUTING TOLEDO: The Rockets check in with a 19-12 record (10-8 MAC) after a four-set loss to Western Michigan in their first match of the conference tournament. Toledo leads the MAC in blocks/set (2.42), aces/set (1.59) and opponent hitting percentage (0.170). Sophomore OH Taylor Alt is second in the conference in both scoring (518.5 points) and total kills (450).

Butler is a perfect 5-0 all-time against the Rockets, with the last meeting resulting in a sweep for the Bulldogs on Sept. 21, 2013.

DOUBLE-DOUBLES: Mariah Grunze (nine), Madison Friebel (eight) and Marissa McKelvey (five) have each recorded multiple double-doubles in the first 31 contests of the season. Grunze averages 9.3 kills and 8.5 digs, while Friebel has averaged 27.0 assists and 7.9 digs per match.

McKelvey averages 22.7 assists and 7.6 digs in BIG EAST matches this season.

KINLEY PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE: Libero Jaymeson Kinley finished her regular season with Butler program records in total digs (595) and digs/set (5.41) in a season. She was rewarded with a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST Team and named the conference's Libero of the Year for her performance. She has recorded double-digit digs in every match but two so far.

Kinley has reached the 20-dig mark in 15 matches this season.

DAVIDSON DOMINATES: Melody Davidson also was a unanimous selection to the All-BIG EAST Team after ranking second in the conference in scoring (444.5 points) and total blocks (135) and fourth in total kills (364) and hitting percentage (.333).

Davidson has tallied double-digit kills in 18 of 31 matches and double-digit points in all but five. Her hitting percentage is on pace to be the third-best 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 (5.41), Grunze (2.41), Friebel (2.21), McKelvey (2.09) and Caroline Cleveland (2.02).

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

STEADY SCORING: Robinson (213 kills) and Amina Shackelford (194) have been consistent contributors for the Butler offense. Robinson averages 2.66 points per set, while Shackelford has scored 2.39 per set.

With 10 points in the regular season finale, Shackelford scored in double-digits for the first time since Oct. 29 at Xavier (ninth time overall on the season).

STEPPING UP: Megan Sheridan has provided steady offense in recent weeks for the Bulldogs. Sheridan has posted 112 kills (2.43/set) since the beginning of BIG EAST play.

Sheridan hits at a .256 efficiency in conference matches.

TRIPLE-DIGIT THREATS: Four Bulldogs have posted more than 100 in two major statistical categories, including two in assists and digs, one in kills and digs, and one in kills and blocks.

The group consists of Friebel (729 assists, 212 digs), McKelvey (413 assists, 144 digs), Grunze (289 kills, 263 digs) and Davidson (364 kills, 135 blocks).

POSTSEASON: This will be Butler's first taste of postseason play not including conference tournaments since Dayton on Dec. 3, 2010 in the NCAA Tournament.

The Bulldogs lost 3-0 at the No. 14 Flyers.