INDIANAPOLIS – Butler women's basketball head coach Kurt Godlevske is pleased to announce the signing of four recruits who will join the program at the start of the 2016-17 season. Shae Brey, Sydney Shelton, Kristen Spolyar and Sarah Humphrey all signed a National Letter of Intent to join the program after the completion of their senior year of high school.

"We are excited to welcome another outstanding group of young ladies to our women's basketball program," Butler Head Coach Kurt Godlevske stated. "These four student-athletes represent what we stand for both academically and athletically.  All four come from wonderful families and are grounded individuals."

The 2016-17 class features four versatile guards that will have the opportunity to impact the program immediately. Brey is a native of Altoona, Wisconsin while Humphrey will make the trip to Indy from her home in Crete, Illinois. Both Shelton and Spolyar call Indiana home. Shelton will wrap up her high school career in Greenfield while playing for the Mt. Vernon Marauders and Spolyar will put the finishing touches on her brilliant career at Lebanon H.S. 

"This recruiting class will raise our overall skill level due to their versatility, competitiveness, and desire to win," Godlevske added. "This group also allows us to take another step towards our program goals which include consistently competing for BIG EAST Championships and NCAA Tournament appearances. I look forward to coaching this group of newcomers and also look forward to seeing them in Butler Blue next season!"

Shae Brey
6-0, Guard/Forward
Altoona, Wis.
Eau Claire Regis H.S.

Brey heads into her senior campaign after starting for the Ramblers in each of her first three seasons. She helped her team win a sectional and regional championship during the 2013-14 season making Eau Claire Regis a WIAA State Semi-Final qualifier. Brey was part of a Cloverbelt West Conference Championship team in 2012-13 and helped the Ramblers become co-champs again in 2014-15.

This two-time Cloverbelt West First Team All-Conference selection was named Conference Player of the Year in 2013-14. She is a two-time WBCA Division 3 First Team All-State pick as well as a two-time Associated Press All-State honorable mention selection. Brey is a two-time team MVP as well as a team captain. Off the court she is a member of the National Honor Society.

"Shae is an athletic wing that can play guard or forward," Godlevske stated. "She can defend multiple positions with her length and versatility. Those same attributes make her a natural fit to our system on the offensive end. Shae is a perfect fit for what we need and she has unlimited potential. She can already score in a variety of ways and we believe that her best basketball is still in front of her!"

Why Brey Chose Butler…
"I was looking for a smaller school with strong academics and the opportunity to contribute to an up-and-coming basketball program."

Sydney Shelton
5-9, Guard
Greenfield, Ind.
Mt. Vernon H.S.
3-Star / 90 Scouts Grade
25 Position Rank

Shelton is a 3-star commit that has over 1,500 points in her career at Mt. Vernon. As a junior, she averaged 22.5 points, 3.5 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 2.9 steals per game. Shelton was recently tabbed Greenfield Reporter Hancock County Player of the Year and Mt. Vernon Marauder of the Year. Statistics from her sophomore campaign include scoring 20.4 points per game while hauling down 5.1 rebounds and dishing out 3.2 assists. She joined the 1,000 career point club during her sophomore season and also notched her first career triple-double with 29 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists. Shelton immediately impacted the varsity team during her freshman season, helping Mt. Vernon win the 3A State Title in 2012-13. She set a record by hitting five 3-point field goals in the championship game on her way to scoring 29 points, just four points shy of the record. She averaged 18.6 points, four rebounds, three steals and three assists during her rookie season.

In 2015, Shelton earned IBCA First Team Underclass All-State honors for the third time in her young career. She is a two-time Preseason Indy Star First Team selection and was a part of the All-Hancock County Girls' Basketball Team. Off the court, Shelton holds a 3.9 GPA (Out of 4.0) and is a member of the National Honor Society.

"Sydney is a strong, skilled guard with unlimited range," Godlevske stated. "She is a true Indiana basketball player with her tireless work ethic and hard-nosed play.  I absolutely loved watching her play in the state finals during her freshman year and have moved forward to enjoy watching her game grow over the last three seasons. Sydney has the tenacity, strength, and skill-set to make an immediate impact to our program."

Why Shelton Chose Butler…
"I am so excited to play basketball at Butler University!  I have known some of the coaches for a long time. They are all either from Indiana, played in basketball in Indiana or coached here for years and it's really neat to be part of that. I am looking forward to my family and friends coming to games and watching us play. Academically, Butler is a very good school. What a great opportunity for a student-athlete!"

ESPN Evaluation:
High energy lead-guard with a scorer's mentality; handles, pushes tempo, distributes with court awareness; mid-range game creator, stationary threat at the arc. (Olson)

Kristen Spolyar
5-10, Guard
Lebanon, Ind.
Lebanon H.S.
3-Star / 89 Scouts Grade
61 Position Rank

Spolyar led the state of Indiana in scoring during the 2014-15 season by averaging 32.8 points per game. Her defensive effort was equally as impressive during her junior season as the three-time First Team All-Conference selection also led the state in steals with 162. Spolyar has helped Lebanon post a 64-14 record over the past three seasons. Her team has won three conference championships, three sectional titles and finished as regional runner-ups on two occasions.

Spolyar is the all-time leading scorer in Lebanon H.S. history as she heads into her final season with 1,925 points. She is a three-time Team MVP and Team Captain. She earned First Team All-State Honors and was an Indiana Elite North/South All-Star selection. Additional honors include being named First Team All-State by Hoosier Basketball Magazine, earning IBCA Subway First Team All-State accolades and being selected as an Indiana Junior All-Star Core Player.

"Kristen has the strength and athleticism to be a big time player in our program," Godlevske said. "She is one of the best scorers I've seen in the 2016 Class.  Kristen has deep range, great quickness to get to the basket, and also possesses the strength to finish around the rim. Her toughness and ability to defend will be a welcomed addition to our program.  I look for big things from her in a Bulldog uniform!"

Why Spolyar Chose Butler…
"It's a fantastic academic institution with great basketball tradition. I had an instant connection with the coaching staff. I love the vision they have for the Butler women's basketball program and I really wanted to be a part of that."

ESPN Evaluation:
Tough, aggressive, left-handed off-guard with long distance range; deceptively agile, slashes, drives and finishes in traffic, delivers at the charity stripe; anticipates, active in passing lanes; passes in up-tempo, executes in half-court game. (Olson)

Sarah Humphrey
6-0, Guard
Crete, Ill.
Crete-Monee H.S.

Humphrey is a two-time all-conference selection that helped her team win a conference championship during her sophomore season. The 6-0 guard is a two-time Defensive Player of the Year honoree that will be stepping up as a team captain for the second consecutive season. Off the court, Humphrey is an honor roll student.

"Sarah is an extremely versatile player with her size and length," Godlevske mentioned. "She has range from distance and also holds the ability to post up smaller guards.  Sarah can defend multiple positions, allowing us to use her talents in a variety of ways.  She brings the ability to create for herself and also create opportunities for her teammates.  She is a perfect fit for how we like to play."

Why Humphrey Chose Butler…
"Butler has high academic standards and a winning atmosphere, along with great coaches and campus environment!