BRENDAN KING | STAFF REPORTER

The Butler volleyball team hosted two home matches this weekend against No. 16 Marquette and DePaul.

Butler split the two matches going 1-1 this weekend. Butler lost to Marquette 3-1 and defeated DePaul 3-0.

In the Marquette match, Butler kept every set close while fighting to try and gain an advantage on the scoreboard.

The first two sets went to Marquette 26-24 and 30-28.

Late in the third set, the score was tied at 25, but two straight kills by junior Stephanie Kranda and senior Maggie Harbison gave Butler the boost it was looking for.

In the fourth set, Marquette finished off the Bulldogs after gaining an early lead that Butler could never come back from.

Top Butler performers included sophomore Mary Striedl, with 14 kills and eight digs in the game. Kranda finished with 12 kills and 12 digs.

Butler rebounded against DePaul the next night, taking three sets in a row to defeat the Blue Demons.

Butler took three straight sets 25-22, 25-17 and 25-11.

Leading the way for Butler was Harbison with 16.5 points in the match.

After this weekend’s matches,  Butler is 19-6 this season and 6-4 in the Big East.

Butler opens a two-match road trip against Villanova and Georgetown. The matches will be Nov. 9 and 10.

Following the road trip, Butler will return home for rematches with Georgetown and Villanova Nov. 15 and 16, respectively.