MATCH NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Bulldogs are approaching the midway point of the conference season with a pair of road matches at UConn and Providence. The final two away contests of the month of October will be played Friday and Saturday of this week. The Bulldogs and Huskies have the same amount of season and conference wins while the Friars find themselves at the bottom of the BIG EAST standings.
 
Weekend Preview
Dates: Friday, Oct. 21 / Saturday, Oct. 22
Times: 6:30 PM / 3 PM
Locations: Storrs, Conn. / Providence, R.I.
Live Stats - Watch at UConn / Live Stats – Watch at Providence
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler leads the conference in team attacks per set (37.52) and ranks 11th in the NCAA.
- Butler ranks third and fourth in the BIG EAST in total blocks (170) and opponent hitting percentage (.188).
- Jaymeson Kinley remains at the top of the conference in digs per set (5.44) and ranks seventh in the nation.
- Kinley is the only Bulldog to be featured in all 73 sets this season. She ranks 19th in the NCAA in total digs (397).
- Amina Shackelford made the BIG EAST weekly honor roll after averaging 3.43 kills, 2.14 digs and 1.00 blocks per set last weekend.
- Grace Boggess leads the Bulldogs with a .286 hitting percentage. She hit .529 in matches against Seton Hall and St. John's last weekend.
- Cora Taylor ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in assists per set (9.23) and recorded her eighth double-double of the season against Seton Hall with 36 assists and 10 digs.
- Mariah Grunze ranks third in the conference in attacks per set (10.56).
- Brooklyne Darby had four service aces last week to move her season total to 11.
- UConn and Butler are tied at 1-1 in the all-time series, having only faced off last year in UConn's first year back in the BIG EAST. UConn swept the first matchup at Butler and the Bulldogs swept the Huskies in the second contest at Storrs.
- Butler has never lost to Providence, leading the all-time series 15-0. They have only dropped two total sets since 2016.
 
SCOUTING UCONN: Wednesday's result against Providence puts UConn's record at 10-10. The Huskies finished non-conference play with a record of 6-5. Those losses included two nationally ranked opponents in Penn State (0-3), and Kansas (0-3), along with Army (1-3), San Diego (1-3), and Utah (1-3). Their wins came against Duquesne (3-0), St. Francis (3-0), SMU (3-2), Lindenwood (3-0), Brown (3-1), and Bryant (3-2). UConn currently sits at 4-5 in conference play. They lost their first five matches to Seton Hall (2-3), St John's (2-3), Marquette (0-3), DePaul (1-3), and nationally ranked Creighton (2-3). The Huskies have won their last four against Xavier (3-1), Villanova (3-1), Georgetown (3-0), and most recently Providence (3-0).
 
UConn ranks second in the BIG EAST in blocks per set (2.29) and third in hitting percentage (.224). The Huskies are led by Madi Whitmire who ranks fourth in the conference in assists per set (9.64).
 
SCOUTING PROVIDENCE: The Friars have a record of 10-11 after their loss to UConn on Wednesday night in Storrs. Their record of 8-4 in non-conference play included losses to Iona (1-3), UT Arlington, Temple (2-3), and George Washington (2-3). Their non-conference wins came against Central Connecticut State (3-1), Texas A&M University-Commerce (3-1), North Texas (3-2), Saint Peter's (3-0), NJIT (3-1), Pennsylvania (3-0) and they swept Holy Cross twice. The Friars have struggled in conference play, holding a 2-7 record. Their wins came against Xavier (3-1) and Georgetown (3-2). Their losses came at the hands of St. Johns (0-3), Seton Hall (2-3), DePaul (1-3), Villanova (1-3), Marquette (0-3) and Creighton (0-3).
 
Providence leads the BIG EAST and are ranked 18th in the nation in service aces per set (1.83). They are led by Mackenzie Taylor who ranks third in the conference in digs per set. The Friar's Kayla Grant also ranks fifth in the BIG EAST in hitting percentage (.313).
 
SHACKELFORD NAMED TO BIG EAST WEEKLY HONOR ROLL: In a 1-1 week, Amina Shackelford totaled 24 kills, 15 digs, 7 blocks, and a service ace. Her performance ranked sixth and seventh amongst BIG EAST competitors in points (4.29) and kills (3.34), respectively.
 
Shackelford has delivered at least 10 kills in every conference match this season.
 
BIG EAST LEADER: Jaymeson Kinley leads the BIG EAST Conference and ranks 7th in the NCAA in digs per set (5.44).
 
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.
 
RECORD SETTING PACE: Jaymeson Kinley is on pace to set two Butler school records this season. Her average of 5.44 digs per set would be a single-season record and she would also own the career digs per set record at 5.27.
 
Kinley will reset her own records. Entering the season, her career digs per set average rested at 5.19. She also averaged 5.40 digs per set, which is a current BU record.
 
BLOCK PARTY: Butler recorded 13 blocks vs. Seton Hall and 11 against St. John's to average 3.43 blocks per set over the weekend.
 
13 blocks is the third highest total recorded by BU this season and 11 comes in at fifth. The Bulldogs have posted 10 or more total team blocks in seven matches this season.
 
BOGGESS TIES CAREER-HIGH: Sophomore middle blocker Grace Boggess tied her career-high block total with six vs. St. John's on Sunday.
 
Boggess recorded six blocks earlier this season in a four-set match vs. Missouri.
 
FOCUSED ON 500: Amina Shackelford needs 13 more kills to reach 500 for her BU career. She recorded 199 kills a year ago and is already up to 195 this season.
 
In 2020, Shackelford recorded 93 kills in just 14 matches. For her career, she has averaged 2.18 kills per set and is hitting at a .190 clip.
 
SENIOR SPOTLIGHT: Megan Sheridan recently reached 500 career kills (515) and is now closing in on 100 career blocks. The senior has 19 total blocks this season moving her career total to 93.
 
Sheridan recorded three blocks last weekend. Her season-high is three (at Xavier) and she opened the season with a block in five-straight matches.
 
UP NEXT: Butler will close the month of October with a pair of matches at Hinkle Fieldhouse against Marquette and DePaul. The Golden Eagles defeated the Bulldogs earlier this season in Milwaukee 3-1, but the 'Dawgs topped DePaul in Chicago 3-1.