MATCH NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – BIG EAST competition starts this weekend for the Butler volleyball team! The Bulldogs will open the conference slate with a road match at DePaul, Friday night at 8 PM. The weekend will come to a close Saturday in Milwaukee with the nationally-ranked Golden Eagles hosting Butler at 7 PM.
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler leads the all-time series against DePaul 20-12, but the Blue Demons have won the last three meetings (3-1, 3-0, 3-2). Butler's last win at DePaul came in five sets back in 2019 (11/1).
- Marquette is leading the all-time series against Butler 17-9. The Golden Eagles have won two-straight over BU.
- The Bulldogs are just 2-7 in BIG EAST openers since joining the conference in 2013. They swept Seton Hall in New Jersey in 2018 and won 3-2 at DePaul in 2015.
- Sophomore setter Jenna Splitt grew up just 50 miles northwest of Chicago in Cary, Ill.
- Butler leads the BIG EAST in blocks per set (2.31) and are fourth in total team blocks (97).
- The Bulldogs are third in the BIG EAST and 70th in the nation in opponent hitting percentage (0.177).
- Mariah Grunze ranks third in the conference and 50th in the NCAA in attacks per set (10.6).
- Grunze averaged 3.90 kills per set last weekend in matches vs. Ohio, Missouri and Central Michigan.
- Jaymeson Kinley ranks third in the BIG EAST and 26th in the country in digs per set (4.95).
- Cora Taylor ranks fourth in the BIG EAST in assists per set (9.0) and Marisa Guisti ranks fourth in the conference in blocks per set (1.15)
- Guisti averaged 1.30 blocks per set in the Bulldog Brawl last weekend.
- Maddie Renn and Jaymeson Kinley account for half (20) of Butler's service aces this season.
 
SCOUTING DEPAUL: The Blue Demons have started out the season with a 4-9 record. They began their season traveling to SMU for the SMU Doubletree Invitational where they went winless, dropping matches to Stephen F. Austin (3-1), SMU (3-2), and UC Irvine (3-0). DePaul went winless again in their second tournament dropping matches to #22 Western Kentucky (3-1), Northern Kentucky (3-2), and Bowling Green (3-1). The Blue Demons turned it around winning four of their last six with three wins in the DePaul Invitational and winning one of three in the Chicago Cup. They defeated the likes of Virginia Tech (3-1), Eastern Michigan (3-1), Saint Louis (3-1), and Loyola Chicago (3-1). Setbacks came at the hands of Northwestern (3-1) and UIC (3-1).
 
DePaul was picked to finish third in the 2022-23 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Junior Jill Pressly earned ALL-BIG EAST team honors. Key veterans in Bailey Nelson, Hanna Karl, and libero Rachel Krasowski all return.
 
SCOUTING #19 MARQUETTE: The Golden Eagles are nationally ranked heading into the weekend with a 10-1 overall record. They defeated DePaul on Wednesday night to open up BIG EAST action. Before the start of the conference season Marquette went toe-to-toe with three ranked opponents. They opened the 2022 campaign with a 3-2 win at #11 Kentucky. Their lone loss came at #6 Wisconsin (3-1), and they bounced back nicely with a five-set win over #25 Illinois at the Al McGuire Center on Sept. 17.
 
Marquette was picked second in the BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll.
 
BULLDOGS ON ALL-TOURNAMENT TEAMS: Jaymeson Kinley and Megan Sheridan made the Top Dawg Challenge All-Tournament Team with Kinley taking home MVP honors. Kinley and Mariah Grunze were selected to the Boise State Classic All-Tournament Team and Grunze would also be part of the 2022 Bulldog Brawl All-Tournament Team.
 
The Denver Invitational did not release an All-Tournament Team.
 
ALL 42: Three Bulldogs have appeared in all 42 sets this season. Those student-athletes are Mariah Grunze, Jaymeson Kinley and Maddie Renn.
 
Marisa Guisti and Megan Sheridan have appeared in 41 of the 42 sets this year.
 
ACTION AT THE NET: Butler recorded 12 total blocks against Missouri in game two of the Bulldog Brawl last weekend. It marks the second-highest block total of the season for the team this season.
 
Butler recorded a season-high 16 blocks in the win over Akron opening weekend.
 
MARIAH VS. MISSOURI: Mariah Grunze posted a season-high 18 kills in the four-set match vs. Missouri last weekend. Her high heading into that match was 15 in a three-set win vs. Eastern Washington.
 
Megan Sheridan has posted 17 kills two times this year. She did it in the same day with 17 vs. Boise State, then 17 more that night vs. Eastern Washington.
 
BOGGESS EYES MILESTONES: Grace Boggess has 87 kills and 44 total blocks heading into the weekend. Boggess had six blocks vs. Missouri so reaching 50 this weekend is definitely in play. Her career-high kill total is 10.
 
Boggess posted 10 kills two times last year in non-conference tilts vs. Central Michigan and North Dakota.
 
CARMEL TO CHICAGO TO INDIANAPOLIS: BU senior Elana Brueggemann spent her freshman season playing at DePaul for the Blue Demons. She made an immediate impact with 145 kills, 110 digs and 21 blocks in 97 sets.
 
Brueggemann was a six-rotation player at Carmel H.S. before deciding on DePaul for her college choice. She returned to the Indianapolis area in 2020 and has played in 28 matches for the Bulldogs. She has not appeared in any matches this season due to injury.
 
GUISTI FINDS HER ROLE: Marisa Guisti has more blocks through 12 matches this season than she had in her first two seasons at Butler.
 
Guisti set career-high marks at DePaul last year in kills (13) and attacks (38).
 
UP NEXT: BIG EAST action continues next weekend for Butler with matches at #17 Creighton and Xavier. The Bluejays will host the Bulldogs on Friday night at 7:30 PM. Xavier will welcome BU to Cincinnati on Sunday afternoon for a 1 PM start.
 
Butler's BIG EAST home opener is scheduled for Friday, Oct. 7 against Georgetown. BU will also host Villanova that weekend on Sunday.