PITTSBURGH – Butler took a 3-0 loss at #20 Pittsburgh on Friday afternoon to open up the 2018 regular season. The Panthers hit .381 as a team to earn the sweep (25-14, 25-23, 25-12).
 
Sophomore Natalie Ravenell paced BU offensively with a team-high eight kills. She took 21 total attempts and only made two errors to lead Butler with a .286 hitting percentage. Bri Lilly was another impact player for the Bulldogs. The senior middle blocker posted seven kills.
 
Maddie Freiwald won the setter role for BU and supplied the team with 15 assists. The dig leader was newcomer Elizabeth LaBue with eight.
 
Service aces would favor the home team 5-1. Pitt also won up front with eight total team blocks compared to just four for BU. Redshirt-freshman Melody Davidson led the team today with three blocks against the Panthers.
 
Pitt won set one by leading from start to finish 25-14. Set two was much more competitive with Butler jumping out to a 9-5 lead. Pitt would go on a run to knot the score at 9-9 and the two teams would stay close the rest of the way. Butler climbed back within a single point at 21-20, but they wouldn't get any closer with Pitt taking the 2-0 advantage by recording a 25-23 win. Set three was never in question as the Panthers went on an 11-2 scoring run to complete the sweep.
 
Kayla Lund was the player of the game for Pitt. She posted a double-double with 10 kills and 11 digs. Her 10 kills came of just 13 attempts (.769).
 
Butler will face another nationally-ranked opponent in the Panther Challenge tomorrow. The day begins with an 11 AM match against Pepperdine and will end with a 4 PM tilt vs. #24 Cal Poly.