MATCH NOTES I WATCH BU VS MU 

INDIANAPOLIS - The Butler volleyball team heads home inside for two matches inside Hinkle Fieldhouse against the Midwest foes. The Bulldogs will host Marquette, who is receiving votes in the AVCA Top 25 rankings, on Friday, Oct. 20 at 6 PM. The weekend will come to a close with a match on Saturday, Oct. 21 at 5 PM against DePaul. 

Bulldog Bits
-For the third week in a row, the Bulldogs finished the weekend with a 1-1 record against BIG EAST foes to move to a record an 9-10 overall
-The Bulldogs are tied for fifth in the conference with a 3-5 record, but currently sit eighth in the BIG EAST
-Butler finished their second conference road trip by sweeping Providence before falling in four sets to UConn 
-As a team, the Bulldogs hold the second highest average for kills per set (13.09 k/s) and assists per set (12.24 a/s) in the conference this season
-BU jumped to fourth in the country with an average of 38.29 attacks per set
-Jaymeson Kinley owns an average of 5.09 digs per set which is 16th in the NCAA
-Cora Taylor boosted her season average to 10.51 assists per set, which leads the BIG EAST and ranks 23rd in the nation. 
-Marquette leads the all-time series against Butler with a 3-19 overall record. The last time the Bulldogs topped the Golden Eagles was during the 2020-2021 season where they won in a five set thriller
-BU has played better against DePaul holding an all-time record of 15-6. Butler has won six of the last 10 matches with their last meeting ending in a 3-2 Bulldog victory. 
-Elise Ward tallied 29 digs (4.14 digs per set) in both matches last weekend including a 16-dig performance with 11 kills to earn her fourth career double-double against UConn
-Ward has now reached the double figures for digs in four of the last five matches and is tied for the conference lead in double-doubles by a freshman hitter.
-In her first conference appearances last weekend, Laiya Ebo collected 24 kills (3.43 kills per set) and four blocks against Providence and UConn
-Ebo's mark of .475 was the highest weekend hitting percentage of any BIG EAST freshman this season
-Taylor and Ward became the first Bulldogs this season to have more than two serving aces in a match with each of them totaling four aces. 

SCOUTING MARQUETTE: The Golden Eagles sit next to St. John's atop the BIG EAST standings with a 7-1 conference record and an overall record of 11-8. Marquette struggled out of the gate finishing with a 4-7 non-conference record. However, all seven of Marquette's losses came against nationally ranked opponents, including No. 1 Wisconsin in which they took the Badgers to four sets. The conference play has been a whole different story as the Golden Eagles have dominated the BIG EAST foes winning the first seven matches and losing just two sets. Last Saturday, Marquette was upset by St. John's falling in a five-set thriller in Queens. 
Marquette leads the BIG EAST with a .290 hitting percentage during conference matches this season. Carsen Murray is someone to keep an eye on as she currently leads the BIG EAST with a .359 hitting percentage this season. 

SCOUTING DEPAUL: The Blue Demons have been on one wild roller coaster ride this season with records of 3-5 in the conference and 10-9 overall. They began the non-conference season by being swept in their first three matches before then turning it around and winning seven of their next eight matches with wins over Montana (3-1) and Loyola Chicago (3-0). The start of BIG EAST action continued to show promise as they would begin 3-1. However, the Blue Demons would then lose the next four matches including a 3-2 loss to Seton Hall last Saturday.

Outside hitter, Jill Pressly holds an average of 4.49 kills per set, which leads the BIG EAST and ranks 11th in the country, while libero Rachel Krasowski owns the conference-best average of 5.17 digs per set, which ranks 14th in the NCAA.  

SURPRISE STAR: In her first collegiate appearances during BIG EAST play, Laiya Ebo led Butler with a .475 hitting percentage against Providence and UConn last weekend. The right-side hitter also added 24 kills (3.43 kills per set) and four blocks across seven sets. Ebo played a big role in Butler's 3-0 sweep over the Friars collecting 10 kills and a match-high .412 hitting percentage before topping that performance the next day hitting for .512 with a new career-high 14 kills and two blocks in the four-set loss against the Huskies. 

Ebo's mark of .475 was the highest weekend-hitting percentage of any BIG EAST freshman this season.

WHAT A WONDERFUL WARD: Elise Ward continued to display her versatility not only on offense but also on defense after at the outside hitter position playing opposite Mariah Grunze last weekend. The freshman outside hitter tallied 18 kills and 29 digs (4.14 digs per set) in both matches against Providence and UConn last weekend. including a 16-dig performance with 11 kills against UConn to earn her fourth double-double this season. 

Ward has now reached the double figures for digs in four of the last five matches. She is also tied for the conference lead in double-doubles by a freshman hitter with four this season.

CAN'T STOP CORA: Setter Cora Taylor has continued to make a name for herself as the top setter in the BIG EAST. The former BIG EAST All-Freshman Team selection leads the conference with 736 assists (10.51 assists per set) while pacing the Bulldog offense that ranks second with 13.09 assists per set.

Taylor padded the stat sheet last weekend against Providence and UConn totaling 83 assists and 16 digs. She set new career highs with six blocks and four serving aces in a match against the Huskies Saturday night. 

ATTACKS GALORE: The Bulldog offense has shown no issues getting the ball into the hands of the hitters this season. Butler currently ranks fourth in the nation with a stellar average of 38.29 attacks per set while their 2680 attacks sit at 67th in the country. Junior Mariah Grunze was targeted for an average of 10.97 attacks per set, which ranks 29th in the country, while the Georgia transfer Abby Maesch is just behind with an average of 9.80 attacks per set, which ranks 103rd in the NCAA

Grunze recorded 54 total attempts on offense against UConn, which was the most by any Bulldog in a four-set match this season. She collected a team-high 14 kills and nine digs in the match. 

NUMBERS WATCH: Elise Ward is nine kills away and seven digs away from reaching the 150 career mark. Mariah Grunze remains four digs away from 700 career digs and 15 kills from 250 total kills this season. 

Cora Taylor also sits at 14 assists away from reaching 750 total assists this season.

UP NEXT: The Bulldogs will hit the road towards the east coast for the final time this season to face St. John's and Seton Hall. 

The Bulldogs will face Marquette on Oct. 20 at 6 PM followed by another match the next day against DePaul on Oct. 21 at 5 PM.