WASHINGTON – Georgetown University's volleyball team continues its midseason four-match Midwest road swing with BIG EAST contests on the road at Butler and Xavier this weekend. The Hoyas travel to Indianapolis to take on the Bulldogs on Friday before wrapping up the trip on Saturday against the Musketeers in Cincinnati.
Both matches are slated for 6 p.m. first serves. Links to live stats for both matches and video for the Butler showdown will be available at www.GUHoyas.com.
Georgetown (10-7, 3-2 BIG EAST) is coming off a pair of road losses to then-No. 20 Marquette and DePaul in conference play.
Iva Vujosevic (Bar, Montenegro / Niko Rolovic) and
Symone Speech (Oak Park, Ill. / Oak Park-River Forest) both average at least three kills a set, posting 3.64 and 3.16 kps, respectively.
Alyssa Sinnette (Pearland, Texas / Dawson) is just shy of three kills a stanza with 2.96 kps.
Margo Pivonka (Broadview Heights, Ohio / Walsh Jesuit) paces the offense with 8.99 assists per set.
Defensively,
Kenzie Higareda (Woodbridge, Va. / Forest Park) anchors the back row with 4.78 digs per set. She recently eclipsed the 1,800 career digs mark and remains on pace to be the only Hoya in program history with 2,000 digs. Vujosevic adds 2.62 dps while
Jessica Cusi (Pacifica, Calif. / Lick-Wilmerding) adds 2.61 a frame. At the net, Speech has been credited with 58 blocks on the season for a clean 1.00 average and
Brennan Wilhite (Rancho Santa Fe, Calif. / Cathedral Catholic) adds 0.52 bps.
Butler (5-12, 2-3 BIG EAST) dropped a five-set affair to DePaul in midweek action on Wednesday. Bri Lilly leads the Bulldogs with 2.68 kills per set while Brooke Gregory and Natalie Ravenell add 2.70 and 2.52 kps, respectively. Megan Ramseyer took over primary setter duties for BU during conference play and averages 8.83 assists per set.
Defensively, Elizabeth LaBue averages 3.48 digs per set from the back row while Taylor Takeda chips in 2.10 dps. At the net, Lilly averages 1.47 blocks per set and Melody Davidson adds 1.25 rejections a frame.
Georgetown picked up its first win against Butler in program history last season with a 3-2 victory on the Hilltop. The Bulldogs hold a 10-1 all-time record against the Blue & Gray.
Xavier (4-12, 2-3 BIG EAST) is coming off a midweek loss to No. 19 Marquette. Laura Grossman leads the Musketeers with 2.83 kills per set while Audrey Adams and Norah Painter add 2.24 and 2.20 kps, respectively. The offense runs through the duo of McKena Estes and Nadia Dieudonne with 5.47 and 4.82 assists per set, respectively.
Defensively, Meredith Klare paces XU with 3.96 digs per set while Grossman and Ryan Shannon both add at least two digs a stanza. Xavier's top threat up front is Jayda Carlton who averages 1.08 blocks per set.
Xavier holds a 13-0 all-time record against the Hoyas, including a pair of wins last season.
Following the weekend, Georgetown returns to the friendly confines of McDonough Arena for BIG EAST matches against No. 10 Creighton and Providence. The Hoyas face the Bluejays on Friday, October 12 at 6 p.m. before taking on the Friars on Saturday, October 13 at 5 p.m.
