Fourth-year head coach Kyle Shondell is excited for the 2026 season as 11 Dawgs are set to return. Butler added two transfers in the offseason and signed a strong class of five student-athletes to go with the returners.
 
"Our strength this season should come from our depth and balance," said Shondell. "Offensively, I would expect to see a lot of names on the stat sheet; defensively, I would expect a more physical and more scrappy team than you've seen."
 
The 2026 season opens with a pair of exhibitions on the road against preseason No. 6 Wisconsin (Aug. 14th) and No. 9 Purdue (Aug. 21). BU will then open the regular season on the road with the Clemson Invitational where the Bulldogs will face Western Carolina (Aug. 28), Clemson (Aug. 29) and Charleston Southern (Aug. 30). The non-conference portion of the schedule includes six home matches and eight away matches. Butler's home opening weekend is set for September 3-5 as Youngstown State, Akron and Ohio visit Hinkle Fieldhouse. 
 
The Bulldogs shift to BIG EAST competition on September 25th, as Villanova visits Hinkle. The Dawgs will also host Georgetown (Sept. 26), Xavier (Oct. 7), UConn (Oct. 16), Providence (Oct. 17), St. John's (Oct. 30), Seton Hall (Oct. 31), and Creighton (Nov. 8).
 
Defensive Specialists 
Defensive specialists Jersey Loyer and Aesha Vogt return to the Dawgs after a stellar 2025 campaign. Loyer appeared in all 29 matches a season ago and played in all 105 sets for BU. Vogt appeared in 25 matches last year and is primed to take on a bigger role on defense for the Dawgs.
 
Middle Blockers
The 2026 roster features six middle blockers: three returners and three freshmen. Zoe McDonald returns for her sophomore season after a stellar freshman campaign that saw her appear in 25 matches and 86 total sets. McDonald posted 134 kills (1.56 K/S) last season and was followed closely by Ellery Rees, who posted 100 kills (1.19 K/S) in 84 sets played. Carly Slusser will look to take on a bigger role this season after competing in 16 matches and 46 total sets a season ago. The duo of Taylor Wathen and Karen Dutro will each make their Bulldog debut this fall and are part of one of the best recruiting classes in Butler history. 
 
Outside Hitters
The roster will feature seven outside hitters: three returners, three freshmen, and one transfer. 

Elise Ward returns for her senior season after appearing in all 29 matches in 2025. She posted a total of 308 kills and tallied 193 digs last season. Following Ward's lead is sophomore Maria Nix, who appeared in 47 sets and recorded 67 kills in the 2025 season. The returning group of outside hitters are rounded out by sophomore Ellie Barker, who appeared in two matches in 2025. Middle Tennessee State sophomore transfer Raegan Durbin will look to make her Bulldog debut this fall after appearing in 28 matches for the Blue Raiders last season. She totaled 339 kills and posted three performances with 24 or more kills in the 2025 season, earning her a spot on the CUSA All-Freshman Team. The freshmen trio of Chase Lemming, Marin Thaxton, and Lucy Gray will make their Bulldog debuts this fall and are part of one of the best recruiting classes in Butler history. 
 
Opposite/Right-Side Hitter
Opposite/right-side hitter Sawyer Jones is poised for a breakout senior season. She appeared in all 29 matches in 2025, recording 199 kills. She posted a season-high 17 kills against Illinois State on Oct. 6, 2025. 
 
Setters
The roster will feature three setters: two returners and one transfer. Kaylee Finnegan returns for her senior season after appearing in all 29 matches in 2025. She ranked sixth in the BIG EAST with 788 assists, a mark that led the squad. Following Finnegan's lead is sophomore Sarah Kempf, who ranked second on the team in assists with 243 in 19 matches. Loyola Chicago transfer Ava Hunter will look to make her Bulldog debut this fall after making 72 set appearances with the Ramblers last season. She totaled 414 assists and opened the season with a nine-match streak with 10 or more assists.