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The Butler volleyball team will travel to Washington, D.C, and Villanova, Pa., for its first road games of the BIG EAST season this weekend. The Bulldogs will face Georgetown on Friday at 5 p.m. before taking on Villanova on Saturday at 7 p.m. Butler (7-8, 1-1 BIG EAST) is coming off a sweep over Providence at Hinkle Fieldhouse last Saturday.

BULLDOG BITES
- Jaymeson Kinley earned recognition on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for her strong play over the weekend (47 total digs and three aces).
- Melody Davidson tied the Butler program record for most kills in a three-set match (24) against Eastern Kentucky on Sept. 15.
- Mariah Grunze ranks second in the BIG EAST and No. 33 nationally in total attacks (561).
- Kinley leads the BIG EAST and ranks No. 9 nationally in total digs (291).
- The Bulldogs lead the BIG EAST in total attacks (2,134) and total digs (941).
- The Bulldogs had their best attack percentage of the season against Eastern Kentucky (.298). That is over 50 points higher than the previous season-high of .241 vs. Youngstown State.
- Butler's opponents are outscoring the Bulldogs this season, 22.8 to 21.7 average score per set, through 55 sets.
- Davidson ranks second in the BIG EAST in scoring (237 points) and total kills (203), which are No. 27 and No. 34 nationally in those categories, respectively.
- Marissa McKelvey filled in at setter over the weekend and averaged 42 assists, 12.5 digs and two kills for the two matches.
- Caroline Cleveland recorded a season-high 13 digs against Creighton and her second-most digs of the season vs. Providence (11).
- Closest to Home: Hannah Kelly's hometown of Powell, Ohio, is 333 miles from Washington, D.C., and 408 miles from Villanova, Pa., in straight-line distance.

SCOUTING GEORGETOWN: The Hoyas check in with a 4-9 record (0-2 BIG EAST) after losing to both DePaul and Marquette in straight sets in the opening week of conference play. Georgetown has gone to five sets in five matches so far, going 1-4 in those contests. Mary Grace Goyena leads the Georgetown offense with 144 kills this season, while also adding 27 blocks and 37 digs.

Butler leads the all-time series with the Hoyas 12-3. The Bulldogs won both matches the last season the two programs played in 2019.

SCOUTING VILLANOVA: The Wildcats sport an 8-6 record (0-2 BIG EAST) after losing to DePaul in straight sets and Marquette in four over the weekend. Villanova has a 2-0 record in five-set matches while going 2-1 in four sets. Riley Homer leads Villanova and ranks third in the conference with 3.86 kills/set (189 total), while Averi Salvador ranks fourth in the BIG EAST with an average of 4.45 digs/set (218 total).

Butler leads the all-time series over Villanova 10-5, with the home team winning in both matchups during the 2018 season.

DOUBLE-DOUBLE MACHINES: Madison Friebel and Mariah Grunze have recorded six double-doubles each in the first 15 contests of the season. Friebel averages 36.5 assists and 9.8 digs per match, while Grunze has recorded 10.2 kills and 9.3 digs per match through the first five weeks of play.

Grunze recorded double-doubles against  Creighton and Providence, the second time she has done so in consecutive matches.

KINLEY PLAYING WITH CONFIDENCE: Libero Jaymeson Kinley recorded 47 digs combined against Creighton and Providence to earn recognition on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll for the second time this season. She has recorded double-digits digs in every match so far while averaging 5.29 per set, which is on pace to tie Megan Knightly's single-season program record set in 2005.

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

DAVIDSON DOMINATES: Melody Davidson put down a season-high 24 kills vs. Eastern Kentucky, which tied a 30-year old program record for most kills in a three-set match (Jessica Taylor vs. Green Bay on Sept. 6, 2021).

Davidson hit an efficient .697 against the Colonels and added six block assists in her career night. She is hitting .322 on the season and on pace to have the third-best hitting percentage in a season in Butler volleyball history.

BREAKING THE 3RD SET BLUES: The Bulldogs took the third set against both Creighton and Providence to improve their record in that frame to 6-9 this season.

Butler is 8-7 in the first set, 7-8 in the second, 4-5 in the fourth and 1-0 in the fifth set this season.

SETTER STEPPING UP: Marissa McKelvey filled in admirably for Friebel over the weekend, with her 45 assists vs. Providence being the second-most for any BIG EAST student-athlete in a 3-set match this season.

SIGNATURE WIN: Butler defeated No. 24 Marquette during the spring season on March 5. The five-set match featured Butler winning the first and fourth sets. In the finale, BU controlled the action by winning 15-7.

BU posted 21 total blocks in that match, just two shy of tying the school record.

CAN YOU DIG IT: Butler's defense features four different student-athletes averaging at least two digs per set, with Kinley (5.29), Friebel (2.67), Grunze (2.55) and Jillian Ziemba (2.23).

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

INJURY REPORT: The Bulldogs played without Friebel, Grace Boggess and Hannah Kelly against the Bluejays and Friars.

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

UP NEXT: Butler will return home and continue BIG EAST Conference play next weekend with matches against St. John's and Seton Hall. The Bulldogs will host the Red Storm on Friday before matching up with the Pirates on Saturday at Hinkle Fieldhouse.

The Butler volleyball program sports an all-time record of 9-5 against St. John's and 9-5 vs. Seton Hall. The Bulldogs split two meetings with St. John's in 2019 and won both matchups with Seton Hall that season.