LIVE STATS | SECN+ | MATCH NOTES
 
INDIANAPOLIS – The Auburn Tigers will host Butler, New Mexico State and Tennessee State over opening weekend as part of the 2019 War Eagle Invitational. Butler will play two games on Friday with the finale set against the home team on Saturday at 2 PM. All matches will have live stat links to follow, but the only match to air on SECN+ will be Butler at Auburn on Aug. 31.
 
BULLDOG BITS
- Butler has reached 800 total wins in 44 seasons
- The last time BU played on Aug. 30 was in 2016; they defeated Eastern Illinois 3-2
- Butler's full roster breakdown includes five seniors, two juniors, four sophomores and four freshmen
- BU has players from Indiana (9), Illinois (2), Texas (1), Tennessee (1), Missouri (1), and Idaho (1)
- Sharon Clark has recorded 318 wins at BU, making her the all-time wins leader in program history
- Butler has led the BIG EAST in total blocks in each of the last two seasons
- Butler recorded 559 block assists in 2018 to set a new single-season school record
- Butler recorded 319.5 total blocks last year, nearly doubling their opponents' season total of 164.
- Butler's single-match kills record came against Auburn in 1994. (101 kills, five-set match)
- BU recorded 94 assists in that 1994 match, marking yet another school record
- Anna Logan has recorded 1,197 career kills. She needs 123 more to enter the BU all-time top-ten list
- Brooke Gregory and Natalie Ravenell each posted 20+ kills in a match last year
- Elizabeth LaBue recorded 20 or more digs in four matches last year
- Natalie Ravenell led BU with three double-doubles in 2018
 
SCOUTING NEW MEXICO STATE
The Aggies claimed the Western Athletic Conference Tournament title in 2018 with a 24-8 overall record. Top returning players include outside hitter Savannah Davison, setter Natalie Mikels, and middle blocker Megan Hart. Davison ranked second on the club a year ago with 382 kills. She averaged 3.11 kills per set and ended her freshman campaign with 420 total points. Mikels split time at the setter position, but would appear in all 32 matches. She averaged 5.23 assists per set and was the team leader with 47 service aces. Up the middle, BU will need to keep an eye on Hart. The 6-5 senior ended 2018 with a team-best 135 total blocks.
 
Butler leads the all-time series over New Mexico State 1-0. The Bulldogs swept the Aggies 3-0 in the 2003 Bearcat Invite.
 
SCOUTING TENNESSEE STATE
The Tigers went 9-19 last year and ended their campaign with a 3-0 loss to Austin Peay in their first match of the Ohio Valley Conference Tournament. Head Coach Donika Sutton will return two impact players from last year's team in outside hitter Julia Pierson and libero Gina Rivera Ortiz. Pierson led the team with 364 kills in 2018, averaging 3.37 per set. She doubled as the team leader in service aces with 25. Rivera Ortiz averaged 4.83 digs per set to lead her team with 541 total.
 
Butler is 1-0 all-time against Tennessee State. The Bulldogs defeated the Tigers 3-0 in the first match of the 2016 Butler Classic.
 
SCOUTING AUBURN
The Tigers swept Butler 3-0 last year in the Top Dawg Challenge, but only managed 11 other wins the rest of the way. Head Coach Rick Nold brings back Bella Rosenthall as his defensive specialist, but will have to find new pieces at multiple positions. Of the nine Tigers that saw playing time inside Hinkle Fieldhouse last season, only three return with two of the three calling Indiana home. Payton White is from Zionsville, Ind. and Rosenthall is from Yorktown. Rosenthal led the team in 2018 with 339 digs.
 
Butler is 1-4 all-time against Auburn. Their lone win came in 1992 in the Butler Invitational.
 
SEASON OPENERS
Butler is 3-2 over their last five season openers. Wins have been recorded over Virginia Tech, South Dakota and Stony Brook.
 
Butler is 13-6 in season openers under the guidance of Sharon Clark.
 
BROOKE BACK IN THE MIDDLE
Brooke Gregory will return to her natural position this year after spending much of her junior season at outside hitter. Gregory helped BU on the outside last year due to the team's injury situation.
 
Gregory led the team with 296 kills in 2018. She hit .213 by averaging 2.87 kills per set.
 
FIRST LOOK
Butler lost 3-2 at (RV) Cincinnati in exhibition action on Aug. 21.
 
Brittany Robinson led BU with 15 kills at Cincinnati. Megan Ramseyer notched a double-double with 44 assists and 11 digs.
 
POSITION BATTLE
Megan Ramseyer and Maria Schorr will compete for the setter role on the 2019 team.
 
Ramseyer split time as the BU setter in 2018. She ended the year with 429 assists, averaging 7.66 per set.
 
INJURY UPDATE
Natalie Ravenell and Serena Wagner will miss the start of the regular season with injuries.
 
There is no timetable for when either student-athlete will return to action.
 
UP NEXT
Butler will compete in the 2019 Hampton Inn Bowling Green Invitational next weekend. BGSU will host BU, Cleveland State and Charlotte. The 'Dawgs will play two games on Friday and end the weekend with a single match vs. Charlotte.
 
Butler is 1-0 all-time against both Bowling Green and Charlotte. They lead the series over Cleveland State 24-16.