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INDIANAPOLIS – The third weekend of the regular season will send the Butler volleyball team to Boise, Idaho to face the Broncos in the Boise State Classic. The Bulldogs will face Boise State (12 PM) and Eastern Washington (9 PM) on Friday, Sept. 9. The weekend will end with a single match vs. Southern Utah on Saturday (2 PM).
 
Bulldog Bits
- The 2022 Bulldogs start the season 4-2, their best start since the 2017 season in which they finished with a 23-8 overall record.
- Butler's 4-2 record has earned them a spot in the top half of the BIG EAST standings, fifth in the conference.
- Jaymeson Kinley sits at third in the BIG EAST as well as 41st in the nation, recording 4.86 digs per set.
- Autumn Flowers and Marisa Guisti are tied for third in the BIG EAST both averaging 1.00 block per set.
- As a team, Butler leads the BIG EAST in blocks per set (2.23) as well as total team blocks (49).
- The Bulldogs rank 32nd in the nation and first in the BIG EAST in opponent hitting percentage (0.143).
- Boise State and Butler last met in the 1995 Oregon State Sizzler Classic, which ended in a five-set victory for the Bulldogs.
- Eastern Washington leads the all-time series after defeating Butler in their lone meeting at the 1990 Georgia Invitational.
- This will be the first ever meeting between Southern Utah and Butler.
- Butler posted their highest attack percentage of the season (.369) to sweep Hofstra last week.
- Cora Taylor made a season-high 40 assists in the four-set match at Denver.
- Autumn Flowers provided BU with a career-high nine kills at Denver.
 
SCOUTING BOISE STATE: The Broncos are 4-1 to begin the season defeating the likes of Saint Mary's (twice), Notre Dame, and Idaho State. Their lone defeat came at the hands of Long Beach State. The Broncos handled both matches against St. Mary's in dominant fashion to begin their season winning 3-0 and 3-1. They then suffered their first lose to Long Beach State in a 3-1 fashion before bouncing back to beat both Notre Dame and Idaho State 3-1. The Broncos have begun to build a reputation of starting each season off hot. The last two seasons featured 11-1 and 10-2 starts.
 
Sophomore Paige Bartsch earned preseason player of the year in the All-Mountain West conference. Senior Lauren Ohlinger also earned a spot on the preseason All-Mountain West team. As a team, Boise State was picked to finish tied for third in the preseason conference poll.
 
SCOUTING EASTERN WASHINGTON: The Eagles competed in the Tiger Brawl Tournament, hosted by Memphis, to start the season. They finished with a 1-2 record after the weekend, suffering defeat a 3-0 defeat to Central Michigan and a 2-3 loss to Memphis. The one win came after sweeping Southern University. The Eagles then split a close series against South Dakota State, winning the first 3-2 and losing the second 2-3.
 
Eastern Washington was picked to finish tied for seventh in the 2022 Big Sky Volleyball preseason coaches' poll. The Eagles return 15 players and four starters from last year's team.
 
SOUTHERN UTAH: The Thunderbirds are winless, starting the season 0-4. After participating in Weber State's Wildcat Invitational, Southern Utah posted a 0-3 record. They lost 1-3 to San Jose State in their season opener, followed by 1-3 loses to Weber State and University of California Riverside. The Thunderbirds then suffered a slime 2-3 defeat in their home opener to California State Fullerton. This will mark Southern Utah's first season as a part of the Western Athletic Conference.
 
The Thunderbirds were predicted to finish 12th in the 2022 WAC preseason poll. They return their blocks leader in senior Raegen Beeson and sophomore Molly McDermott who led the team in aces and ranked second in assists for the Thunderbirds.
 
BIG-TIME BACKCOURT: Both Jaymeson Kinley and graduate transfer Maddie Renn won a major conference award last fall, with Kinley claiming the 2021 BIG EAST Libero of the Year and Renn notching the Summit League Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Both Kinley and Renn enter the weekend with 1,178 career digs!
 
NEW SETTERS: Sophomore transfer Jenna Splitt and freshman Cora Taylor form a new duo of setters for the Bulldogs in 2022. Splitt transferred from Iowa for the spring semester after tallying 223 assists, 70 digs and seven aces in her freshman season. Taylor was a 2021 Third Team AVCA All-American while leading her high school team to the school's first state championship in 40 years to cap off her senior season.
 
Taylor leads Butler with 137 assists on the year. Splitt has 64 as a Bulldog taking her career total to 287.
 
SOPHOMORE STAR: Outside hitter Mariah Grunze will look to build on a breakout rookie campaign that saw her land on the All-BIG EAST Freshman Team, which was the first time a Bulldog has been awarded the honor since joining the conference in 2013.
 
Grunze leads Butler with 67 kills (3.05 k/s). She reached a double figure kill total in all three matches in the Denver Invite last weekend.
 
UP NEXT: Butler will host the 2022 Bulldog Brawl next weekend. The tournament field will include Ohio, Missouri, and Central Michigan.
 
The Bulldog Brawl will feature Butler playing one match Thursday, Friday and Saturday. All three of those matches will feature a 6 PM start.