INDIANAPOLIS – Villanova women's volleyball team falls to the Butler Bulldogs 3-1 on Saturday night. The Wildcats fall to 10-9 and 3-4 in the BIG EAST. While the Bulldogs improve to 6-13 and 3-4 in conference play.
Freshman outside hitter Clare Delaplane led the Wildcats with 16 kills. She also had seven digs.
Two other Wildcats had double digit kills. Senior middle blocker Amanda Pedersen-Henry with 11 and freshman right side hitter Sanaä Barnes with 10.
Junior setter Emma Decker had 39 assists. It was her eleventh game this season with 39 or more assists.
Junior libero Regan Lough had 18 digs for the Wildcats.
In the opening set the Wildcats lost the first point but then won the next six to lead 6-1. Villanova went on a 5-0 scoring run to lead 17-9. Butler responded though with a 6-0 run of their own to retake the lead 23-22. The teams would trade the next few points and the score would be tied at 25. The Wildcats took the next two points to win the set 27-25.
The Bulldogs went on multiple scoring runs to start the second set to lead 13-7. Villanova would fight back to cut the Butler lead to 16-14. Butler would then go on two different scoring runs to win the set 25-17.
The third set was a set of runs by both teams. First Butler started the third set with a 3-0 run, the teams traded the next few points. Then the Wildcats countered the early run by the Bulldogs with a 5-0 run to lead 8-4. With Villanova leading 10-7, Butler went on a 4-0 run and then another 4-0 run to retake the lead 14-11. Butler would go on one more run and the Wildcats fought back with a run of their own but it wasn't enough as the Bulldogs won the set 25-20.
The two teams trade points back and forth to begin the fourth set. With the score tied at 8, the Bulldogs went on a run to lead 11-8. The Wildcats would continue to keep the match close but could not overtake Butler's lead. With the score at 22-19, Butler won three of the next five points to win the set 25-21 and the match 3-1.
Villanova will return to Jake Nevin Field House next Friday to take on Providence at 7:00 p.m. The Wildcats will then play Creighton on Saturday night at 7:00 p.m.
