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INDIANAPOLIS – Butler will host a four-team tournament inside Hinkle Fieldhouse this weekend to open up the 2021 volleyball season. Action starts at 10 AM on Friday with Bowling Green facing UIC. Butler's first match will be played Friday night at 6 PM vs. Bowling Green. Saturday features two Bulldog matches. They play UIC at 10 AM and end the day with a 6 PM match vs. Indiana.
 
Top Dawg Challenge Schedule
Friday
Bowling Green vs. UIC – 10 AM
UIC vs. Indiana – 3 PM
Butler vs. Bowling Green – 6 PM

Saturday
Butler vs. UIC – 10 AM
Indiana vs. Bowling Green – 1 PM
Butler vs. Indiana – 6 PM
 
Bulldog Bits
- Butler has recorded 818 wins over 46 seasons
- The last time the Bulldogs opened the season at home was in 2017. Butler hosted the Bulldog Brawl from August 25-26 and ended the weekend 3-1
- Butler's full roster breakdown includes two seniors, one junior, five sophomores and 10 freshmen
- BU has players from Indiana (5), Illinois (3), Texas (2), Florida (2), Tennessee (1), Wisconsin (1), Ohio (1), California (1), Kentucky (1), and Georgia (1)
- Head Coach Sharon Clark has recorded 336 wins at Butler over 21 seasons. She is the all-time wins leader in program history
- Jaymeson Kinley averaged 4.71 digs per set last year, the fourth-best average in school history
- Melody Davidson has averaged 1.20 blocks per set over her career, the fifth-best average all-time
- Davidson ranks seventh all-time with a .266 career attack percentage
- Davidson tied a school record with 12 block assists last season in a five-set match vs. Marquette
- Davidson notched 14 total blocks vs. the Golden Eagles, just three shy of tying the school record
- Three of Butler's four wins last year came at Hinkle Fieldhouse
- The Bulldogs only lost one player from last year's 2020-21 roster
- Butler will host a second tournament from Sept. 17-18. The Bulldog Brawl field is made up of Milwaukee, Western Michigan and #17 UCLA
 
SCOUTING BOWLING GREEN: The Falcons were a unanimous selection to win the East Division in the 2021 Mid-American Conference Preseason Poll. The news came as no surprise after BGSU posted a 22-2 record in 2020-21. Bowling Green only lost one regular season match (3-2 vs. Toledo) and would punch their ticket to the NCAA Tournament after defeating Western Michigan in the MAC Championship (3-1). BGSU traveled to Omaha, Neb., for their tournament match against Weber State. The Wildcats would end Bowling Green's season by posting a 3-1 win. Expectations are high for BGSU in 2021 with the team placing three student-athletes on the Preseason All-MAC First Team. Seniors Hanna Laube and Katelyn Meyer were joined on the team by junior Petra Indrova. Laube was also recognized as the MAC Co-Setter of the Year after the completion of the 2020-21 campaign.
 
Butler and Bowling Green have only met twice. The all-time series is split at 1-1.
 
SCOUTING UIC: The Flames enjoyed success during the 2020-21 season. They went undefeated at home to push their overall record to 14-3. UIC entered the Horizon League Tournament as the No. 2 seed. They knocked off 3-seed Northern Kentucky 3-2, but fell in the finals to No. 1 seed Wright State 3-2. Head Coach Justin Ingram guided UIC to the Horizon League Championship match for the first time since 2012.
 
Butler leads the all-time series over UIC 28-20.
 
SCOUTING INDIANA: The Hoosiers were picked last in the 2021 Big Ten Preseason Poll. IU played 20 conference matches during the 2020-21 campaign. They came out on top in five of those contests. Five of the 10 programs they battled were nationally ranked or receiving votes. Fourth-year head coach Steve Aird has the program moving in the right direction. The 2020 Hoosier freshman class was ranked No. 15 in the country, marking the highest ranking in program history.
 
The Hoosiers are on top of the all-time series vs. Butler 7-4
 
SEASON OPENERS: The Bulldogs are 4-4 in season openers since 2013, the year they joined the BIG EAST Conference. Victories during that stretch were recorded against Stony Brook, South Dakota, Virginia Tech and Cincinnati.
 
Butler is 13-7 in season openers under the guidance of Sharon Clark.
 
FIRST LOOK: Butler defeated IUPUI 3-0 in exhibition action on Aug. 21 (25-15, 25-11, 25-23).
 
The Bulldogs posted a .304 attack percentage against the Jaguars. 17 of the 18 Bulldogs on the roster saw playing time.
 
GOING THE DISTANCE: Three of Butler's first four matches last year went a full five sets. BU picked up wins over Bellarmine and Indiana State during that stretch.
 
Butler went 3-3 during the non-conference slate during the 2020-21 campaign.
 
SIGNATURE WIN: Butler defeated No. 24 Marquette last year on March 5. The five-set match featured Butler winning the first and fourth sets. In the finale, BU controlled the action by winning 15-7.
 
BU posted 21 total blocks in that match, just two shy of tying the school record.
 
MASK UP: Masks are required inside Hinkle Fieldhouse. Those fans in attendance for the 6 PM match between Butler and BGSU will need to purchase a ticket. All other games on Friday will feature free attendance.
 
Saturday's match between Butler and Indiana will require a ticket. The first two matches of the day will be free to fans.
 
OUT OF TOWN, WATCH ON YOUTUBE: All Butler matches this weekend will stream for free on the Butler Athletics YouTube channel.
 
Live Stats will be available for all six matches during the Top Dawg Challenge.
 
UP NEXT: Week two of the regular season will send Butler to the Chippewa Invitational. Central Michigan will host BU, North Dakota and Youngstown State from Sept. 3-4. The 'Dawgs will play two games on Friday and end the weekend with a single match vs. North Dakota.
 
Butler is 24-0 all-time against Youngstown State, their first opponent in Mount Pleasant. Central Michigan will host BU in the nightcap with the Chippewas holding on to a 5-2 lead in the all-time series. Saturday's tilt between Butler and North Dakota will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs.