INDIANAPOLIS, IND. -- Butler celebrated six senior members of this year's team prior to the final regular season match against St. John's at Hinkle Fieldhouse on Saturday (Nov. 22).  Two-and-a-half hours later, the seniors and their teammates celebrated their 20th win with a five-set victory over the Red Storm.

It was a tough, grind-em-out, come-from-behind win for a team that experienced a season of trials.  After playing their first 14 matches on the road, due to construction at Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Bulldogs (20-10, 12-6 BIG EAST) rallied to win 11 of their final 15 matches, including their final two.

Saturday's 3-2 win over St. John's showed the resilience of Coach Sharon Clark's team.

"Sometimes just feeling like the odds are against us, they kept fighting and fighting and staying in there," Clark said of her team's victory.  "They believed in themselves and that was the best part to watch."

Fittingly, it was a senior who put the finishing touch on the match against St. John's.  After battling back from a 12-10 deficit in the final set, the Bulldogs had three match points.  On the final one, it was senior Belle Obert who slammed a kill down the sideline to give the Bulldogs a 17-15 decsion.

The final set saw Obert and seniors Erica Stahl and Stephanie Kranda each post three kills, while seniors Brooke Ruffolo and Jadyn Yarling each recorded three digs.

"I'm just thrilled for them," said Clark of her senior class.  "More than that, this has got to be the toughest group I've had in years.  That group of seniors has been through three conferences in four years, and to play all those games on the road this year and still get 20 wins, I'm so proud of them."

Kranda led Butler's offense with 17 kills and three blocks, while Stahl added 15 kills, 10 blocks and a .458 attack percentage.  Obert finished with 14 kills and seven blocks, while Yarling had three assists and 22 digs and Ruffolo added three assists in 21 digs.  Christina Saenger, Butler's sixth senior, also saw action in the win.

Freshman Makayla Ferguson finished the afternoon with 60 assists, sophomore Kayla Bivins added 10 kills and five blocks.

The two teams were never separated by more than four points in the decisive final set and the score was tied seven times.  St. John's took an early 5-1 advantage, but the Bulldogs battled back to eventually tie the score at 9-9 on a block by Stahl and Jessica Klingensmith.  The score was tied five more times, before a block by Kranda and Bivins gave Butler a 16-15 lead.  Obert then provided the game-winner.

The Bulldogs started strongly, winning the opening set, 25-10.  Obert led the opening attack with four kills, while Kranda added three.  Butler broke an 8-8 tie with 10 unaswered points and then cruised to the win.

Things got considerably tighter after that.  Butler overcame a 17-15 deficit in the second set and pulled out a 25-22 win by scoring the final three points.  Kranda and Stahl each had three kills in the set, and Obert had four blocks.

The Red Storm (19-14, 8-10 BIG EAST) took the third set, which was tied 11 times, by scoring the final two points.  Obert and Stahl each led the Bulldogs with four kills.

St. John's also scored the final two points of the fourth set to claim a 25-23 decision, despite six kills by Kranda.  Stahl finished the year with 132 blocks,

Obert finished the regular season with a team-leading 411 kills, while Kranda added 311.  Yarling finished with a team-high 474 digs, and Stahl had a team-high 25 service aces and the team's second-highest block total with 132.  Ruffolo had 253 digs and 15 service aces.