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INDIANAPOLIS – The 2020-21 spring volleyball season will get underway this weekend with Butler traveling to Chicago to face Valparaiso and Loyola. The Ramblers will host each match on Friday, Jan. 29. Butler will take on the Crusaders at 1 PM and end the day with a 6 PM game vs. Loyola. The weekend will come to a close with a road match at Bellarmine on Sunday. First serve is set for 3 PM.
2021 Spring Roster
Butler has a young team featuring seven freshmen, six sophomores, three juniors and not a single senior. Coach Clark brought in three student-athlete transfers in the off-season by adding
Marisa Guisti,
Elana Brueggemann, and
Jaymeson Kinley.
Head Coach Sharon Clark
Clark heads into her 21st season at Butler this spring. The program's all-time wins leader (332) has posted seven 20-win seasons at BU. Over the span of her 27-year career, Clark has accumulated 434 total wins.
Coaching Staff Changes
Connor Zimmick joined the Butler volleyball coaching staff in January after spending the previous two seasons at Kentucky. His role at Butler includes player development, scouting and recruiting.
Amber Seaman will also give the 'Dawgs another voice in the huddle this year. Seaman became a Bulldog in August after a stellar playing career at Ball State. She is a volunteer assistant for Butler that will work closely with the team's setters.
East Division / Midwest Division
BIG EAST volleyball will played divisionally this spring with five teams in the East (Connecticut, Providence, St. John's, Seton Hall and Villanova) and five teams in the Midwest (Butler, Creighton, DePaul, Marquette and Xavier).
BIG EAST Championship
The BIG EAST Championship is scheduled for April 2 and 3, and will be hosted by Creighton. The Championship will pit the top two teams in the East and Midwest against each other.
Preseason Poll
In the Midwest, Creighton edged out Marquette for the top spot. The Bluejays earned three first-place votes while Marquette was close behind in second with two. DePaul finished third with eight points, Xavier was just behind them with seven and BU took fifth with six.
Preseason All-BIG EAST Selections Includes Davidson
Melody Davidson has been selected to the Preseason All-BIG EAST Team after a vote from the conference head coaches. Davidson is the top returner on the roster for head coach
Sharon Clark. In 2019 as a sophomore, Davidson led the BIG EAST and ranked 46th in the nation with 134 total blocks. She posted 215 kills and led the team with a .274 attack percentage.
Davidson Named to USA Volleyball's Collegiate National Team
Melody Davidson made the 28-player U.S. Collegiate National Team as a member of the Anaheim roster. The team trained from June 21-27 at the American Sports Centers where they competed side-by-side with the U.S. Women's National Team.
2021 Recruiting Class
The 2021 Butler volleyball recruiting class includes two outside hitters and a middle blocker. Head Coach
Sharon Clark will welcome Destiny Cherry, Mariah Grunze and Grace Boggess to Hinkle Fieldhouse for the Fall 2021 campaign.
Ravenell Medically Retires
Natalie Ravenell made a tough decision to medically retire from volleyball. In January of 2019, she underwent surgery to repair a torn labrum in her left shoulder. The outside hitter made it very clear that this was one of the toughest decisions she has ever had to make, but that it was the best decision for her health and her future. Ravenell will graduate in May of 2021 and move into the professional workforce. Her lasting impact on Butler volleyball cannot be understated. In her four years with the program, she has helped mold and drive the competitive culture. She will be very missed by her teammates and coaches.
