TOURNAMENT CENTRAL | LIVE STATS | ESPN 3 VS. PITTSBURGH
INDIANAPOLIS – The Butler volleyball team will kick-off the 2018 season in Pittsburgh this year by participating in the Panther Challenge. Two nationally-ranked opponents appear on the tournament schedule this year. BU will face No. 20 Pittsburgh on Friday and No. 24 Cal Poly on Saturday. Friday's 12:30 start can be seen live on ESPN 3.
Bulldog Bits
- The Bulldogs went 23-8 overall last year with a 13-5 mark in the BIG EAST
- Butler has reached 20+ wins in four of the last five seasons ('13, '14, '16, '17)
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Bri Lilly and
Anna Logan earned AVCA All-East Region honors in 2017
- Lilly and Logan each were named First Team All-BIG EAST a year ago
- Lilly posted the highest attack% of any Bulldog in program history last year (.378)
- Logan will take a medical redshirt for the entire 2018 season due to injury
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Brooke Gregory is two kills shy of 500 for her BU career (230 - 2016, 268 - 2017)
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Natalie Ravenell earned BIG EAST Freshman of the Week honors four times last year
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Rachel Klitzing recorded 12 block assists in a single-match over opening weekend in '17
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Taylor Takeda has started at libero for BU the past two seasons (897 digs, 4.06 d/s)
- Butler landed in third place of the 2018 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll
- Middle blocker
Bri Lilly made the 2018 Preseason All-BIG EAST Team
- Butler has eight newcomers on the 2018 roster; five freshmen and three transfers
- Butler competed in the Panther Invite during the 2012 season; lost to Pitt 3-0
- Butler's last win over a ranked opponent came in 2013; W, 3-1 vs. #22 Creighton
Head Coach Sharon Clark
Sharon Clark enters her 19th season as the head coach of the Butler women's volleyball program in 2018. Clark reached her highest win total with the program in 2013 when she guided the team to a 24-8 overall record. During her coaching tenure, Clark has delivered 12 winning seasons, reaching the 20-win plateau seven times.
2018 BIG East Preseason Poll
The Butler volleyball team finished third in the 2018 BIG EAST Preseason Coaches' Poll. Marquette took the top spot with 78 points and Creighton was close behind in second with 76. Villanova and Seton Hall rounded out the top five. St. John's and Xavier tied for sixth in the poll. The final three teams included Georgetown (24), Providence (23) and DePaul (14).
Lilly Named Preseason All-BIG EAST
Bri Lilly was one of four middle blockers to earn the recognition and one of just seven student-athletes to be a unanimous selection. In 2017, Lilly set a new BU school record by posting a .378 attack percentage. She recorded 258 kills in just 532 attempts. 200 of her 258 kills came against conference foes. Lilly dialed in over the final weeks of the season to hit .426 against BIG EAST opponents. 81 of her 121 blocks on the season also came against conference competition.
All-Time Series
The all-time series between Pittsburgh and Butler is knotted up at 1-1. Butler's win over the Panthers came during the 1996 season 3-2. Pitt evened the score in 2012 by defeating BU 3-0 in the Panther Invitational. Saturday will feature the first-ever match between Butler and Pepperdine in women's volleyball. The day will come to a close with just the second meeting between BU and Cal Poly. The Mustangs lead that series 1-0.
2017 Opening Weekend
Butler hosted the Bulldog Brawl over opening weekend last year. The team went 3-1 with wins over Stony Brook (3-0), Oakland (3-2) and Robert Morris (3-2). The lone setback was in the final game against Eastern Michigan (3-1).
20+ Wins
Butler won 20 matches in 2016 and notched 23 wins a year ago in 2017. The program has not reached 20+ wins in three-straight seasons since 1995-97. The 1995 team won 22 games and the 1996 team totaled 26 victories. The 1997 team posted the third-highest win total in program history with 28.
Lilly Looks to Join Elite Company
Senior middle blocker
Bri Lilly enters her senior season with 368 total blocks in her outstanding career. She currently ranks ninth all-time in program history with 327 block assists and is just 38 blocks shy of joining the BU all-time top ten list in total blocks (368). Lilly will attempt to become just the fourth player in BU volleyball history to reach 500 total blocks in her career. She is 132 shy of the total. Her highest block total in a single-season is 144, a number set during her freshman season in 2015.
New Look
Eight of the 17 student-athletes on the 2018 roster are newcomers. The Bulldogs welcomed five freshmen to the program in the offseason. That group includes three defensive specialists, one setter and one outside hitter. Three transfers will also compete for playing time this year.
Megan Ramseyer joins Butler after beginning her volleyball career at Idaho.
Emma Milstead comes in from Gardner-Webb and
Shay Horn joins the team after playing for Texas A&M Corpus Christi.
Logan Sidelined for 2018 Season
Outside hitter
Anna Logan will miss the entire 2018 season due to injury (back).
Up Next
Butler will host the Top Dawg Challenge next weekend at Hinkle Fieldhouse. The tournament field includes Auburn, Eastern Illinois and Illinois State. BU will play one game Friday night and two games on Saturday. Tickets are available on ButlerSports.com. Single match tickets are $7 for adults and $4 for kids (Ages 3-12).
