This weekend the Dawgs will host the Butler Invitational. The event will take place at the Fishers Events Center. Tickets for the event can be found here. 

Butler Invitational Schedule (Butler Only)
Friday 9/19 Butler vs IU Indy 7pm ET Watch Live Stats Tickets 
Saturday 9/20 Butler vs Oakland 2pm ET Watch Live Stats Tickets 
Saturday 9/20 Butler vs Eastern Michigan 5pm ET Watch Live Stats Tickets 

About Butler 
The Bulldogs currently sit at 5-5 on the season and are 3-1 in home matches, with their lone loss coming against #14 Purdue. The Butler Invitational will be Butler's fourth and final non-conference tournament of the season. The Dawgs swept the Big Dawg Kickoff, picking up wins over Evansville, Purdue Fort Wayne, and Middle Tennessee State. The Bulldogs went 1-2 at the Pepsi Sycamores Invite and the Kwik Star Klassic. Last weekend at the Pepsi Sycamores Invite, Butler defeated Indiana State 3-0 ending their tournament on a positive note. 

Bulldog Bites

• Alaleh Tolliver leads Butler in total kills with 152 and is second in the conference in kills per set with 4.22.
• Tolliver also leads the Dawgs in service aces with 16. 
• Alaleh Tolliver has received All-Tournament Team Honors in each of the three tournaments Butler has competed in and was named the MVP of The Big Dawg Kickoff.  
• Elise Ward has tallied 95 kills for the Dawgs and 13 service aces so far for Butler this season.
• Kaylee Finnegan was named BIG EAST Setter of the Week on 9/2 after the Dawgs swept the Big Dawg Kickoff.
• Finnegan leads the BIG EAST in total assists with 339 and is second in the conference in assists per set with 9.97.
• Zoe McDonald is the team leader in blocks with 44. McDonald is second in the conference in blocks per set with 1.26.
• Lauren Evans leads the Dawgs in digs with 162. Her 4.5 digs per set is third in the BIG EAST. 
• Evans was named to the Pepsi Sycamores Invite All-Tournament Team. 
• Butler is 1-1 in five set matches. 

Scouting IU Indy
The Jaguars will enter the Butler Invitational 4-5 on the season and 1-1 in road matches. IU Indy is led by their third year head coach Andrew Kroger. In 2024 Kroger led the team to a 15-17 record which was six wins better than 2023. As for the 2025 team, Grace Purichia controls the Jaguar offense. Purichia leads the team in assists with 319. Jillian Tippmann is the team's leader in kills with 114. Defensively for IU Indy, Laura Roeder leads them in digs with 144 and Morgan Ostrowski defends the net, as she leads the team in blocks with 27. Butler and IU Indy will square off in an in-state showdown Friday at 7pm ET.

Scouting Oakland
Oakland currently sits at 0-9 on the season. The Grizzlies are led by fourth year head coach Krista Rice. Through their first nine games, offensively Oakland has been well balanced. Mya Kattula and Stern Delaney each have over 100 assists, Delaney leads the team with 216. Four Grizzlies have over 60 kills. Ella Schomer has 79 and Libby Smith leads the team with 83. Defensive wise, they are balanced. Oakland has four student-athletes who each have at least 13 blocks. Butler and Oakland will face off Saturday afternoon at 2pm ET. 

Scouting Eastern Michigan
Eastern Michigan will enter the Butler Invitational with a record of 7-3 and will be coming off back to back wins. The Eagles are 2-1 in road matches. Eastern Michigan is led by third year head coach Kevin Foeman. Defensively, the Eagles are led by Surabhi Sirnivasan on the back line. Sirnivasan leads the team in digs with 152. At the net, Hatteras Welker has picked up 49 blocks so far on season, which leads the team. The Dawgs and Eagles will square off Saturday evening at 5pm ET. 

Full Butler Invitational Schedule
Thursday 9/18 – IU Indy's Campus
IU Indy vs Eastern Michigan 7pm ET 

Friday 9/19 – Fishers Events Center 
Eastern Michigan vs Oakland 4pm ET  Watch Live Stats Tickets 
Butler vs IU Indy 7pm ET Watch Live Stats Tickets 

Saturday 9/20 – Fishers Events Center 
Butler vs Oakland 2pm ET Watch Live Stats Tickets 
Butler vs Eastern Michigan 5pm ET Watch Live Stats Tickets 

Up Next
BIG EAST conference play will begin next week for the Dawgs. Butler will face Xavier in Cincinnati Wednesday 9/24 at 6pm ET. Saturday, the Bulldogs will travel to Omaha to take on Creighton at 7pm ET.