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INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler volleyball team will host Kent State, Fresno State and UC San Diego this weekend at Hinkle Fieldhouse for the Bulldog Brawl. Admission to the first two matches each day are free for all fans. Those unable to attend can watch the Bulldogs on YouTube.
 
2023 Bulldog Brawl Schedule

Friday, August 25
Kent State vs. Butler - 12 PM
Fresno State vs. UC San Diego - 3 PM
Fresno State vs. Butler - 7 PM
 
Saturday, August 26
UC San Diego vs. Kent State - 10 AM
Kent State vs. Fresno State - 1 PM
UC San Diego vs. Butler - 4 PM
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler was picked eighth in the 2023 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches Poll.
- Jaymeson Kinley represented Butler on the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team.
- Butler leads the all-time series against Kent State (6-2) and are tied with Fresno State (1-1).
- Butler's match vs. UC San Diego on Saturday will be the first meeting between the two programs.
- BU went 0-3 in the 2022 Bulldog Brawl. The tournament field was made up by Ohio, Missouri and Central Michigan.
- Mariah Grunze made the 2022 Bulldog Brawl All-Tournament Team.
- Butler went 9-5 last year when playing inside Hinkle Fieldhouse.
- BU opened the 2022 campaign with four-straight victories.
- Butler defeated UIndy last weekend in an exhibition match.
- The BIG EAST Volleyball Championship will take place at the Al McGuire Center this year.
- The three-round tournament will feature the top six teams in the conference standings.
 
Scouting Kent State
The Golden Flashes went 13-16 last year with conference wins over Miami (Ohio), Eastern Michigan, Akron and Northern Illinois. Head Coach Haley Eckerman brings back Mackenzie McGuire for her sophomore season. McGuire led Kent State with 295 kills in 2022 as a true freshman. Mississippi State transfer Burgundy Walters will be in the mix this season along with Fishers, Ind. native Bryan Roberts (25 service aces in 2022).
 
Kent State finished fourth in the East Division of the MAC Standings in 2022 with a 4-14 conference record.
 
Scouting Fresno State
The Bulldogs went 7-23 last year with a 1-17 record in the Mountain West. Head Coach Leisa Rosen takes over the program in 2023 after spending 22 years at Michigan as the Associate Head Coach. Fresno State brings back their team leader in kills, assists, digs and blocks this year.
 
Ella Rud had a team-high 364 kills in 2022 to go along with 101 blocks. The Bulldogs also bring back each setter from a year ago in Hannah Waters and Brooke Cowie.
 
Scouting UC San Diego
The Tritons went 14-18 a year ago with a 7-13 record against conference opponents. All-Big West Second Team honoree Ava McInnes returns to the program after leading the Big West in both kills and points a year ago. Defensively, Shara Da Silva and Emily McDaniel will look to disrupt opponents at the net.
 
UC San Diego was picked seventh in the Big West Preseason Coaches Poll. This year is their third season of Division I competition.
 
She's Back
The two-time BIG EAST Libero of the Year Jaymeson Kinley is coming off another record-breaking season after her 618 digs and 5.42 digs per set became the best marks in program history. Kinley was selected to the All-BIG EAST Team and AVCA East All-Regional Team after playing in all 114 sets last season. She enters the 2023 season on the Preseason All-BIG EAST team for just the second time in program history.
 
Kinley has 1,454 digs during her three-year career at Butler, ranking seventh all-time in program history.
 
Grunze The Great
Outside hitter Mariah Grunze returns to serve as Butler's go-to hitter on offense after accumulating a team-high 1,206 attacks last season, which ranked third in the BIG EAST. The former All-BIG EAST Freshman Team honoree also led the team with 379 kills.
 
Last season, Grunze also tallied 21 kills in a single match against Seton Hall, which was the most in a 3-set match by any player in the conference.
 
Pin it to Win it
The Butler volleyball team boasts an impressive young attacking core at the pins. Grunze will headline the frontcourt after appearing in all 113 sets and leading the team with 415.5 points. Opposite of Grunze will be transfer Abby Maesch, who was a steady contributor during her two years at the University of Georgia where she registered 142 kills and 12 serving aces.
 
Abby Maesch returns to Indianapolis for her junior campaign after spending two seasons at Georgia. The local product is originally from Avon, Ind.
 
New Kids on the Block
The Bulldogs welcomed seven incoming freshmen to the program this off-season. Elise Ward, Laiya Ebo and Sawyer Jones are outside hitters who will look to make an immediate impact.
 
The Bulldogs have four other newcomers hoping to make a quick influence on the team including defensive specialist Reese Bates, defensive specialist Abby Herman, middle blocker Jaeda Lockhart and setter Kaylee Finnegan.
 
Fresh Start
Kyle Shondell, became the sixth head coach in Butler's program history. The 2022 AVCA National Coach of the Year in NAIA men's volleyball arrived on campus on March 7.
 
Butler added assistant coaches Tyler Golsteyn (Eastern Michigan) and AJ Lux (Missouri State) along with first time assistant coach Grace Cleveland (Purdue).
 
Watch the Bulldogs
All three BU volleyball matches this weekend will stream on the Butler Athletics YouTube channel for free. Click here to watch the action.
 
Up Next
Butler will compete in the Dayton Invite next weekend. The Flyers will host BU, North Dakota State and Ohio for the two-day tournament.
 
The Bulldogs will play NDSU (11 AM) and Ohio (5 PM) on Friday, followed by a single match at Dayton on Saturday at 1 PM.