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Volleyball Opens Four-Match Homestand This Weekend
Oct. 16, 2006
Complete Release in PDF Format
This week in Butler Volleyball...
The Week Ahead: The Bulldogs return to Hinkle Fieldhouse this weekend when they host Loyola on Friday (Oct. 20) beginning at 7:00 p.m. before battling UIC on Saturday (Oct. 21) at 4:00 p.m.
Previewing The Bulldogs: The Bulldogs (6-15, 1-6 Horizon League) begin a four-match homestand this weekend with conference matches against Loyola and UIC. Freshman Porshia Allen paces the team with 3.04 kills per game and is third on the squad with 2.52 digs per game. Senior Krystal Hendrix leads the Bulldogs with a .285 hitting percentage and has been dominant at the net with a team-best 1.26 blocks per game. Junior Michelle DeGeeter has also been one of the team's top players, recording 2.71 kpg, 2.62 dpg and 0.93 bpg. Sophomore Nina Inic is the team's top defender, registering 3.27 digs per game. Freshman Adrianna Higle split time with sophomore Dana Daprile at the setter's role during the league schedule, with the two combining for 212 assists in conference play. Head coach Sharon Clark, in her seventh year with the Bulldogs, earned her 100th win at Butler and her 200th win as a collegiate head coach earlier this season.
DeGeeter, Inic Pace Bulldogs In Wisconsin: Junior middle blocker Michelle DeGeeter notched her fifth double-double of the season with 16 kills and 14 blocks, while sophomore defensive specialist Nina Inic registered a career-high 35 digs, but the Bulldogs fell in a tight 3-1 contest to UW-Green Bay on Friday (Oct. 13). DeGeeter added a team-best seven kills against UW-Milwaukee the following afternoon (Oct. 14) and Inic led all players with 16 digs, but the Bulldogs would fall short again in a 3-0 contest.
Block Party: The Bulldogs continue to have a significant edge on their opponents when it comes to blocking, recording 176.5 total blocks to their foes' 114.5 and out-blocking their opponents in 17 of 21 matches. In fact, the team is second in the Horizon League in total blocks with 2.45 per game and a just fraction behind league-leader Wright State (2.49).
Making It Happen In Conference: The Bulldogs have been even more impressive in the seven Horizon League matches this season, putting back 2.59 blocks per game for the second-best mark in the league.
Can You Dig It?: The Butler defense has been nearly as strong in the back row as it has been at the net. Butler has averaged 17.99 digs per game this season, the third-highest total in the Horizon League, and has averaged slightly more in conference matches with 18.57 per game.
Moving Up The List: Senior Krystal Hendrix leads the Bulldogs with 91 total blocks and, with 418 total blocks in her career, is now ranked sixth in school history after passing Keely Norris (409) on the all-time list. Hendrix also paces the team with 75 block assists on the year and is second all-time with 378. The top mark is held by Amy Pickett, who totalled 413. Krystal In The Rough: Senior Krystal Hendrix is currently ranked in the top-10 in the Horizon League in three categories this season. The Salt Lake City native is third in blocks (1.26 per game), ninth in hitting percentage (.285) and 10th in points (3.65). Inic To Win It: Not much has gotten by sophomore defensive specialist Nina Inic in Horizon League play this year. The Belgrade, Serbia native leads the circuit with 5.77 digs per game in league contests, while her 131 digs in conference matches paces the team. Additionally, her 35 digs against UW-Green Bay on Oct. 13 are a career-best and are tied for the fifth-highest single-game total in school history.
Not Tall, But High-gle: Freshman setter Adrianna Higle may not appear to be a blocking threat, but she has proven otherwise in Horizon League play. The 5-6 native of San Antonio recorded her first-career block assist against Wright State on Sept. 29 before posting two in the Bulldogs' win over Youngstown State on Oct. 7.
No Second Guessing: Perhaps no Bulldog has been more consistent in all facets of the game this season than junior middle blocker Michelle DeGeeter. She is currently second on the team with 195 kills, 189 digs and 67 total blocks. She has also registered five double-doubles in kills and digs, the second-most on the squad.
Welcome To The Show: Freshman outside hitter Porshia Allen made quite a first impression against Marian on August 25, pacing the Bulldogs with 21 kills in helping the team to a 3-1, season-opening victory over the Knights. She currently leads the team in kills (216) and is seventh in the Horizon League with 3.32 kills per game in conference play.
Doubling Up: Not only has Porshia Allen been a considerable threat on offense, she has been a strong defensive performer as well. The freshman has posted double-doubles in kills and digs six times this year and is third on the team with 179 digs and 46 total blocks.
Triple Your Pleasure: Dana Daprile put together an all-around impressive performance in the Bulldogs' match against Army (Sept. 2), recording a triple-double with 11 kills, 30 assists and 17 digs while hitting a team-high .450 (11-2-20) in the match.
Steele Named To All-Tournament Team: After leading the Bulldogs with superior serving in at the Courtyard by Marriott Classic, freshman Stephanie Steele was named to the All-Tournament Team as the tournament's Best Server. In matches against Duke, Notre Dame and Arizona State, she recorded three service aces and only two errors in 35 attempts for a .943 service percentage. She also chipped in 18 digs and added three total blocks. On the year, Steele touts 16 service aces and a .898 service percentage.
The Biggest Test: The Horizon League volleyball season provides challenging competition every year, and coach Clark planned accordingly when scheduling non-conference opponents. The Sun Devil Classic (Sept. 15-16) featured the most demanding non-conference matches for the Bulldogs this season, including bouts with Duke, which advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championships in 2005, and Notre Dame, which reached the Sweet 16 of the national tournament last season.
They Come From Near And Far: Three of the Bulldog's six newcomers didn't have to travel too far to reach campus this fall. Sophomore transfer Corissa Foster and freshman Porshia Allen both hail from Indianapolis, while freshman Stephanie Steele comes from Sellersburg in southern Indiana. The other three, however, covered quite a bit more distance in their relocations. Freshmen Melody Austin (New Orleans, La.), Adrianna Higle (San Antonio, Texas) and Stephanie McGurk (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) combined for nearly 4,100 miles in their trips to Indianapolis.
Four Out Of Five Scorers Agree: The Bulldogs boast four of their top five scoring threats from a year ago in seniors Krystal Hendrix and Susana Henri, junior Michelle DeGeeter and sophomore Alicia Coltrane. The quartet was responsible for 70 percent (857 of 1,224) of the team's kills in 2005.
Head Coach Sharon Clark: In her 14th year of coaching and seventh season with the Bulldogs, head coach Sharon Clark earned her 100th victory at the helm of Butler on Oct. 7 against Youngstown State. Earlier this season, she notched her 200th victory as a collegiate head coach against Evansville on Sept. 2. Clark has compiled a 202-206 record in 13-plus years as a head coach, including a 100-98 record at Butler. During her tenure with the Bulldogs, she has coached a two-time All-American, nine All-Horizon League Team members and seven all-newcomer team members.
Clark Recognized by NABJ: On August 18, head coach Sharon Clark was named as a recipient of the Sam Lacy Pioneer Award by the Sports Task Force of the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ). She was presented with the honor for her success as one of the few black major-college volleyball coaches and the leadership she has shown in American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) and NCAA activities. The Pioneer Awards, which pay tribute to black ground-breakers in the sports world, are the most prestigious honors bestowed by the NABJ Sports Task Force, which is comprised of black print and broadcast sports journalists nationwide.
Next Up: The Bulldogs close out their four-match homestand next week when they host in-state non-conference rival IPFW on Oct. 26 at 7:00 p.m. before hosting league-foe Wright State on Oct. 27 at 7:00 p.m. |
