MATCH NOTES (PDF)
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler volleyball team will host a pair of BIG EAST teams this weekend at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Both Seton Hall and St. John's appear near the top of the conference standings heading into Week 8 of the season. Seton Hall first-year head coach Shannon Thompson has nearly matched last year's win total for the Pirates and the Johnnies bring in last year's Co-BIG EAST Player of the Year Rachele Rastelli. Sharon Clark and Jaymeson Kinley highlight the Bulldog program. Clark is in her 23rd season as the head coach at Butler and Kinley heads into Friday ranked fifth in the nation in digs per set!

Weekend Schedule
Oct. 14: Seton Hall at Butler - 6 PM
Oct. 16: St. John's at Butler - 1 PM
Each match will stream on FloSports.com
 
BIG EAST Standings
Marquette 6-0, 15-1
Creighton 6-0, 14-3
St. John's 5-2, 14-6
Seton Hall 4-3, 13-6
Xavier 3-3, 10-6
Butler 3-3, 9-9
DePaul 2-4, 6-12
Georgetown 2-4, 4-13
Providence 1-5, 9-9
UConn 1-5, 7-10
Villanova 1-5, 5-13
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler setter Cora Taylor was tabbed BIG EAST Freshman of the Week on Monday after averaging 9.50 assists per set in wins over Georgetown and Villanova.
- Taylor recorded her sixth and seventh double-double of the year last weekend. She posted 35 assists and 19 digs against Georgetown and 41 assists with 13 digs vs. Villanova.
- Jaymeson Kinley recently made the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll (6.25 digs per set).
- Kinley has recorded 20+ digs in 10 matches this season. She opened the year with three-straight and has reached 20+ or more digs in five of BU's last six matches.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST and ranks 4th in the NCAA in team attacks per set (38.0).
- Destiny Cherry recorded a career-high five blocks vs. Georgetown and matched that effort with five more vs. Villanova.
- The Bulldogs recorded a season-high nine aces in their matchup with the Hoyas and followed it up with six aces against the Wildcats.
- Brooklyne Darby led BU with three aces vs. GU.
- 89 digs against Georgetown is the most by Butler in any 4-set match this season.
- BU recorded 10 blocks against the Hoyas marking the fifth time this season they have recorded 10 or more blocks in a match.
- Butler has won seven of their last eight matches against Seton Hall and lead the all-time series 10-6.
- The Bulldogs lead the all-time series vs. St. John's 11-5. They came out on top in each match last year (3-0, 3-1).

SCOUTING SETON HALL: After Wednesday's loss against St. John's, the Pirates move to 13-6 overall with a 4-3 record in BIG EAST action. They finished non-conference play with a 9-3 record with loses to Hofstra (1-3), Stony Brook (2-3), and Princeton (1-3). Seton Hall hosted two tournaments and only dropped a total of two sets in those six matches. Those wins included George Mason, Akron, Iona, Central Connecticut State, Dartmouth, and NJIT. Their other non-conference wins were Temple (3-0), Delaware (3-1), and Sacred Heart (3-0). To start BIG EAST play Seton Hall beat UConn (3-2), Providence (3-2) Villanova (3-1), and DePaul (3-2). Losses before Wednesday night came to Georgetown (2-3) and Marquette (0-3).
 
First-year head coach Shannon Thompson has a talented roster that includes Jenna Walsh and Asli Subasili. Walsh was named BIG EAST Offensive Player of the Week early in October and had 14 kills vs. St. John's. Subasili has won Freshman of the Week honors twice this season and ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in blocks per set.
 
SCOUTING ST. JOHN'S: The Red Storm are 14-6 after their Wednesday win against Seton Hall. Their non-conference play began with three-straight wins, beating California Baptist (3-1), Appalachian State (3-2), and Charleston Southern (3-1). St. John's lost their next four to Miami (0-3), Weber State (1-3), UNLV (1-3), and Fairfield (2-3). They then went on another win streak recording six-straight against Southeastern Louisiana (3-2), Bryant (3-0), Stonehill (3-0), Columbia (3-2), Boston College (3-2), and Middle Tennessee (3-1). The Red Storm have started conference play with a 5-2 record. Their wins came against Providence (3-0), UConn (3-2), Georgetown (3-2), and DePaul (3-0). The only two losses came at the hands of Villanova (1-3) and Marquette (0-3).
 
St. John's returns the reigning BIG EAST Player of the Year in Rachele Rastelli. As a team, STJ leads the BIG EAST in blocks per set (2.36), but are last in the conference in digs per set (11.56).
 
TAYLOR TABBED BIG EAST FRESHMAN OF THE WEEK: In a 2-0 week, Taylor recorded match-best assist totals against Villanova (41) and Georgetown (35) to rank sixth in the BIG EAST in assists per set (9.50), the most of any freshmen. The rookie contributed 19 digs in a 3-1 victory over Georgetown before producing 13 digs against Villanova.
 
Taylor ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in both total assists (544) and assists per set (9.22).
 
KINLEY NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL: In a 2-0 week for the Bulldogs, Jaymeson Kinley led the BIG EAST in digs per set (6.25), producing match-bests against Georgetown (29) and Villanova (21).
 
This is the third time for Kinley to earn a spot on the BIG EAST Weekly Honor Roll. She also appeared on Aug. 29 and Oct. 3.
 
BIG EAST LEADER: Jaymeson Kinley leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks 5th in the NCAA in digs per set (5.59).
 
Kinley's 42 digs at Xavier were the second most in a single match by a Butler player in program history (45 by Jessica Taylor vs. UIC, Sept. 12, 1989). Her 42 digs are also the fourth-most recorded by any player in the NCAA in a five-set match.
 
GRUNZE'S A GAMER: Mariah Grunze has reached a double figure kill total in 13 of Butler's 18 matches this season. Her season-high kill total is 18, a total she set against Missouri.
 
Grunze just missed tying her season-high kill total by recording 17 kills on Sunday vs. Villanova. She added 15 digs to post her fourth double-double of the season.
 
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Megan Sheridan is approaching 500 kills and 100 blocks in her BU career. She needs three kills and 10 blocks to reach the milestones.
 
Sheridan is averaging 2.43 kills per set this season. She had six in her last match vs. Nova.
 
ALRIGHT AMINA: Amina Shackelford is averaging 15 kills per match in BIG EAST action.
 
Shackelford has delivered at least 10 kills in every conference match this season.
 
BULLDOG BREAKDOWN: The Bulldogs are 4-4 this season in 3-set matches, 4-4 in 4-set matches and 1-1 in 5-set matches.
 
The Bulldogs are 5-3 at home, 1-5 on the road and 3-1 at a neutral site.
 
UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will play at UConn on Friday, Oct. 21 and end their road trip with a 3 PM match at Providence on Saturday, Oct. 22.
 
Butler and UConn have only met two times with each team coming up with a 3-0 road win. Saturday will be the 16th meeting between Butler and PC. The Bulldogs have never lost to the Friars.