Indianapolis IND- Villanova defeated Butler in four sets Saturday evening. With the loss, the Bulldogs fell to 12-13 overall and 5-7 in BIG EAST play, ending their three-match winning streak. The Wildcats improved to 17-6 on the season and 8-4 in conference play.
Bulldog Bites
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Sarah Kempf quarterbacked the offensive tonight. She finished with 23 assists.
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Ellery Rees led Butler at the net with eight blocks against Villanova.
Set 1 Butler (25-19)
Butler started the match strong, as
Ellery Rees and
Alaleh Tolliver delivered early kills to give the Bulldogs a 6-1 lead. A service ace by
Maria Nix extended the advantage to 13-8. Back-to-back kills from
Sawyer Jones and
Elise Ward pushed the lead to 16-10, and another kill from Nix made it 20-12. Villanova mounted a late comeback, but a block by Jones secured the set for Butler.
Set 2 Villanova (25-19)
The Bulldogs and Wildcats traded points early in the second set. A kill from Ward put Butler ahead 15-12, and Tolliver added another a few rallies later to make it 16-14. Villanova closed the set strong, scoring 11 of the final 14 points to win the frame by six.
Set 3 Villanova (25-15)
The Wildcats jumped out to a 13-6 lead in the third set and maintained control throughout. A block by Nix pulled Butler within three at 17-14, but Villanova responded with another late run to take the set 25-15.
Set 4 Villanova (25-23)
Villanova built an early 12-8 lead in the fourth set, but Butler responded with a 7-1 run late in the frame. The surge included two kills and a service ace from Tolliver, giving the Bulldogs a 22-20 advantage. The Wildcats, however, won five of the final six points to clinch the match.
Up Next
Next weekend, Butler will travel east to face UConn and Providence. The Bulldogs will play UConn on Friday, Nov. 7, at 6 p.m. ET, followed by a matchup with Providence on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 4 p.m. ET.
