MATCH NOTES
INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will compete in the 2018 Arkansas Classic this weekend in Fayetteville. The Tournament field includes BU, Arkansas, Northwestern and Buffalo. BU faces Arkansas on Friday at 8 PM and will play two matches on Saturday at 11 AM and 6 PM.
Bulldog Bits
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Elizabeth LaBue was named to the Top Dawg Challenge All-Tournament Team
- LaBue started at libero for Butler and responded with 29 digs
- Butler's first win of the season was a 3-0 sweep over Eastern Illinois
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Natalie Ravenell led BU in that match with 11 kills and three service aces
- Ravenell leads the team with 55 kills this season, she averages 3.06 kills per set
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Taylor Takeda leads Butler with five service aces
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Melody Davidson leads the BIG EAST in blocks per set (1.22)
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Megan Ramseyer and
Maddie Freiwald split time at setter last weekend
- Ramseyer leads the team in assists per set (8.18)
- Butler's last win over an SEC opponent came in 2013 vs. Tennessee (3-0)
- BU has faced at least one Big Ten opponent in six-straight seasons
- Butler's last win over a Big Ten opponent was in 2016 (3-0 at Iowa)
- 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
Scouting Arkansas
The Razorbacks are 3-2 overall with setbacks to Kansas and #3 Minnesota. Their last match was played in front of nearly 5,000 fans at Minnesota. The Golden Gophers recorded a 3-0 to snap Arkansas' three-match winning streak. The Razorbacks split a pair of matches vs. Kansas to start the season. Additional wins came vs. Georgia Southern and North Dakota State.
Scouting Northwestern
The Wildcats are off to a 5-1 start to the season after two weekends of action. They went undefeated at the Panther Invitational with victories over South Dakota, New Hampshire and host Milwaukee. All three wins came in four sets. Most recently, Northwestern went 2-1 in the Ellis Rowland Memorial Tournament. They lost to Princeton 3-0, but followed up with wins over Colgate and Stephen F. Austin.
Scouting Buffalo
The Bulls are 5-1 with wins over Niagara, Seton Hall, North Dakota State, St. John's and Siena. Their lone setback was a five-set loss at Cornell. Fourth year head coach Blair Brown Lipsitz was a four-time national champion at Penn State.
All-Time Series
Arkansas holds a 3-1 edge over Butler in the all-time series. The lone Bulldog win came in the 1995 NIVC Tournament (3-0). Arkansas picked up wins in 1997 (3-1) and 1998 (3-0). The last meeting was in 1999 at the Arkansas Hampton Inn Invite (3-0). The only meeting between Butler and Northwestern went to the Wildcats (3-1). Butler does own the advantage over Buffalo in the all-time series 2-1. The last meeting came in 2008 at Buffalo. Butler won 3-1.
Bri Lilly Eyes 400 Total Blocks
Senior
Bri Lilly enters the weekend with 380 total blocks. She needs 27 blocks to jump into the top-ten of the BU record book.
Season-High Totals
Butler hit .250 in their win over Eastern Illinois to set a new season-high mark. 42 kills against the Panthers doubles as another season-high. Butler's aggressive serve vs. EIU resulted in seven aces, doubling their previous season-high total of three which was set vs. Pepperdine and matched vs. Auburn.
Up Next
Butler will host the Bulldog Brawl inside Hinkle Fieldhouse next weekend to signal the end of non-conference action. Cleveland State, Santa Clara and Kent State are all included in the tournament field. The two-day tournament features Butler playing both Friday and Saturday at 7 PM. BU will also play a 10 AM match on Saturday.
