CINCINNATI — Late rallies in sets one and two were not enough after falling to Xavier in three sets (16-25, 23-25,19-25) to conclude the BIG EAST opening weekend.
Alaleh Tolliver led the team with 10 kills while
Cora Taylor tallied 25 assists.
Xavier 25-16
The Bulldogs started hot, jumping out to a 6-4 lead in set 1. Xavier responded well and went on a run building a 17-11 lead. A kill by Jaeda Lockhart and a block by Grace Boggess helped the bulldogs stay in set one, but they ultimately fell short 25-16.
Xavier 25-23
Set two was back and forth. Xavier jumped out to an early lead of 11-8. Then the Dawgs scored 3 straight points, one of them being a kill from Alaleh Tolliver. Xavier then went on a run, opening up a 17-12 lead. Butler then rallied, back to back blocks from Jaeda Lockhart and Alaleh Tolliver tied the set at 23. Xavier then scored two straight to win the second set 25-23.
Xavier 25-19
The Bulldogs started Set 3 strong with two Alaleh Tolliver kills opening a 5-4 lead. Xavier rallied and led 19-13 in set three. Two kills by Abby Maesch kept Butler in the match, but it wasn't enough as Xavier took set 3 25-19.
Inside The Box Score
- Cora Taylor led the team with 25 assists and 11 digs to earn her fifth double-double of the season
- Lauren Evans collected a team-high 12 digs and a pair of assists
- Jaeda Lockhart set a new career-high eight kills with three blocks
Up Next: The Bulldogs will host Creighton next Friday, Oct. 4th at Hinkle Fieldhouse beginning at 7 PM.
