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Butler Travels to Ohio to Serve Up Second Round of League Play
Oct. 20, 2005 ON THE HORIZON: Butler (8-11) heads to northeast Ohio this weekend looking to repeat last month's success against Youngstown State and Cleveland State. The Bulldogs downed both teams in five games earlier this season in Hinkle Fieldhouse. Butler carries a 3-4 Horizon League record into weekend play with one match played and one match remaining against all seven conference foes. WEEKEND RECAP: Butler had only one official match last weekend, but found a way to stay busy during the Homecoming Weekend. The Bulldogs dropped a 3-1 decision to visiting Wright State Friday before hosting some of the program's greats in an alumni exhibition Saturday morning. DeGEETER, DeLEADER: Sophomore Michelle DeGeeter posted career-highs with 17 kills and 15 digs in Friday's four-game loss to Wright State, notching the first double-double of her Butler career. The performance came just two matches after she tied her then career-high with 15 kills in just three games against league-leading UIC Oct. 7. She's led the team in kills in two of the last three matches, the first two times this year that has occurred. DeGeeter has posted double-digit kills in five matches this season, including four of the last six outings. Her 2.12 kills per game average and 178.5 points are both third on the team. DeGeeter was a member of the six-player "All-Newcomer Team" last season. O'HENRY: With 13 kills Friday night against Wright State, junior Susana Henri posted her 12th double-digit kill performance of the season. Adding 13 digs, Henri also registered her team-leading eighth double-double of the year. She's led the team in kills on 11 occasions, good for the team high. On the season, Henri is averaging a team-best 3.09 kills per game. RIGHT BACK AT YOU: Senior Candice Washington had six total blocks against Wright State Friday after posting nine total blocks against Loyola Oct. 8. That total included five solo stuffs. The five block solos and nine total blocks both set new career-highs for the four-year player. Adding 10 kills against Loyola, Washington was just one block shy of her first career double-double. Washington is tied for second on the league charts at 1.18 blocks per game. Her average bumps to 1.37 in league play. Washington has also had 10+ kills on six occasions this season, including the last two matches.
CAN YOU DIG IT?: Senior libero Megan Knightly had a career-high 41 digs in the team's five-game win over Youngstown State Sept. 24. The total was the second-best mark in Butler's 31-year volleyball history. Knightly posted her second-best career outing Friday against Wright State with 32 digs. After beginning the 2005 season in 11th place, she has moved to fourth on Butler's career digs list with 1,573 digs. Knightly is now just 64 digs shy of Laura Baire for the third spot. Jessica Taylor (1989-92) holds Butler's career mark with a total of 1,722. Knightly has earned Horizon League "Defensive Player of the Week" honors twice already this season. The Chicago native has recorded double-figure digs in 48 of her last 49 matches and currently ranks 20th in the NCAA in digs per game (5.36 dpg). Click here to view Knightly's spot on Butler's career digs list LEADING THE WAY: Senior libero Megan Knightly, the 2004 Horizon League "Defensive Player of the Year," tops the circuit with an average of 5.36 digs per game. Wright State's Taylor Gerlach is second, .83 digs per game behind. Let's put that separation into context. If Butler and Wright State were to each play five-game matches Friday night, the following would have to happen for the two players to finish the night tied in digs per game for the season: Knightly could go all five games without recording a dig and Gerlach would need to record 57 digs, one shy of the NCAA single-match record. THE OPPONENTS: Youngstown State (7-13) is winless in seven conference outings this season and has lost 10 straight matches overall. However, three of those league matches have gone to five games and only two have been in Youngstown. Cari Leslie leads the Penguins at 3.28 kills and 3.22 digs per game. Abby Ettenhofer is third in the league in hitting percentage. Cleveland State (13-6) enters the weekend as arguably the league's hottest team after knocking off league-leading UIC Saturday. The Vikings have won four straight matches and are led by reigning league "Player of the Week" Nickole Kennedy's 3.96 kills per game. She and teammate Danielle Siefker rank 1-2 in hitting percentage in the conference. Butler owns a 20-4 record against Cleveland State and has won the last five meetings between the teams. The Bulldogs have never lost to Youngstown State, posting a 10-0 record against the Penguins. BULLDOGS PICKED SECOND IN PRESEASON POLL: Horizon League head coaches tabbed the Bulldogs to repeat their 2004 success and finish second in the league standings, according to the league's preseason poll released August 17. Butler's 38 total points were second only to UW-Milwaukee's mark of 49. The Bulldogs were picked to finish first prior to the 2004 campaign. Only five players from the 2004 12-member "All-Horizon League" Team return this season. THE COACH: In her sixth season at Butler, head coach Sharon Clark has established the Butler volleyball program as one of the Horizon League's elite, while earning respect on both the regional and national levels. One year after posting her first 20-win season at Butler, Clark's 2004 Bulldogs registered the team's best winning percentage (18-10, .643) of her five-year tenure. In her five seasons in Indianapolis, Clark boasts a 91-78 (.538) record, including a 44-31 league mark. In 12 total seasons at three institutions, Clark's teams have racked up an overall record of 193-186 (.509). QUICK HITS: Junior Laura White was two assists shy of her career-high Friday against Wright State, helping out on 43 kills. Adding 12 digs, White posted the second double-double of her career...junior Krystal Hendrix had 20 digs against Wright State, just off her career-high 22 against Cleveland State on Sept. 23...freshman setter Dana Daprile will miss the remainder of the 2005 slate after suffering a season-ending knee injury Oct. 12 in practice. UP NEXT: The Bulldogs close out the home portion of the 2005 schedule, hosting UW-Milwaukee and UW-Green Bay Friday night and Saturday afternoon, respectively. Seniors Megan Knightly and Candice Washington will be recognized prior to the Saturday 4 p.m. match in the 2005 home finale. Horizon League Standings
Butler Statistical Leaders
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