OMAHA, Neb. - The Butler Bulldogs were swept in three straight sets by the Creighton Bluejays on Friday night. With the loss, the Bulldogs slide to 9-9 overall and 3-3 in BIG EAST action, while the Bluejays improve to 9-8 overall and 4-1 in conference play.
Bulldog Bites
- Ava Hunter finished with 14 assists and 10 digs.
- Jersey Loyer recorded 13 digs.
- Chase Lemming registered 12 kills, including six in the third set. She also posted six digs.
- Elise Ward tallied five kills, four coming in the first set. She also posted four digs.
- Raegan Durbin totaled four kills and eight digs.
On the Record with Head Coach Kyle Shondell
"We saw some definitive upticks tonight compared to Wednesday. Our defensive effort was better, and Chase was able to have a really strong match. The reports of Creighton's decline are greatly exaggerated. We outdug them and served the ball pretty well, yet they still likely played their best match of the season. We have 10 more BIG EAST matches and plenty of time to do exactly what we planned to do at the start of the year; we get back to work next week."
Set 1 Creighton (25-17)
Butler opened the match trading points early, sparked by kills from both Lemming and Ward. However, Creighton maintained its aggressive attack, opening up a 15-9 lead at the halfway point. The Bulldogs battled late behind kills from Nix, Ward, and Lemming, but the rally fell short as Creighton took set one, 25-17.
Set 2 Creighton (25-18)
The Bulldogs again traded points with the Bluejays early in the second sets, but trailed 15-10 at the midway mark. Butler continued to chip away with late kills from Durbin, but Creighton held off the push to seal the set 25-18.
Set 3 Creighton (25-20)
Creighton jumped out to an early 10-6 lead in set three. Butler fought back to tie the frame at 14-14 following kills from Lemming and
Carly Slusser. However, the Bluejays reclaimed a 15-14 edge at the midpoint. Butler kept pushing late behind more fire power from Lemming, but Creighton secured the 25-20 win to complete the match victory.
Up Next
Butler will return home and face UConn on Friday, Oct. 16, at Hinkle Fieldhouse. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. The Bulldogs will be back in action Saturday, Oct. 17, at Hinkle Fieldhouse against Providence. First serve is scheduled for 6 p.m.
