The Butler Bulldogs opened the season with a victory at the Big Orange Bash. Butler battled the Western Carolina Catamounts and came away with the win in five sets.
Bulldog Bites
- Elise Ward led Butler with 21 digs and added nine kills.
- Jersey Loyer recorded 17 digs and 8 assists while helping anchor Butler's defensive effort.
- Raegan Durbin finished with a team-high 16 kills and 11 digs. Recording her first Bulldog double-double
- Sawyer Jones recorded 10 digs and nine blocks. Jones assisted on a huge block in set 4 to spark the momentum for the Bulldogs.
- Zoe McDonald finished with nine kills and seven blocks. McDonald recorded the set-winning kill in game 2.
- Maria Nix added eight kills, including a timely kill in the final set to help keep the Bulldogs within striking distance.
On the Record with Head Coach Kyle Shonell
"I'm happy with the grit from this team today. They stayed the course and stayed together. Raegan was untouchable for a couple sets, and when they tried to shut her down, everybody else stepped up. Three-rotation players don't often hit double-double territory, so what Sawyer did today was incredible."
Set 1 Butler (25-22)
Butler came out strong in the opening set, taking an early three-to-zero lead behind back-to-back kills from
Raegan Durbin and kills from
Sawyer Jones. The Bulldogs continued to battle as the teams traded points throughout the set. Butler regained momentum late in the set with kills from
Maria Nix and
Elise Ward to take an 18-16 lead. The Catamounts responded to keep the set close, but Butler finished strong with two kills from
Raegan Durbin to capture the first set.
Set 2 Butler (25-21)
The Bulldogs took an early lead in the second set, using a kill from
Raegan Durbin to take an early 3-0 lead. After the Catamounts responded, Butler shifted the momentum behind a service ace from
Zoe McDonald and back-to-back kills from
Sawyer Jones. While the Catamounts kept the set within reach, Butler maintained the lead, and kills from
Raegan Durbin and
Zoe McDonald helped Butler build a 23-18 lead.
Zoe McDonald would finish the set with two kills to secure the final points for Butler to secure the victory.
Set 3 Western Carolina (25-19)
Butler continued to battle, with
Ava Hunter assisting on kills from both
Sawyer Jones and
Carly Slusser to open up the third set. The Bulldogs stayed within striking distance early, using kills from
Zoe McDonald and
Raegan Durbin to erase an early four-point lead from the Catamounts. The Bulldogs kept this set close, only trailing by 2 points following a kill from
Raegan Durbin, making the score 14-12. Butler continued to fight behind kills from
Maria Nix and
Elise Ward, helping the Bulldogs stay within reach. However, Butler couldn't top the Catamounts, and they would eventually close this set out
Set 4 Western Carolina (26-24
The Bulldogs fought early in set four, with the Catamounts taking a three-point lead to start the fourth set. A big block from
Zoe McDonald and
Sawyer Jones helped Butler tie the set early. Butler continued to fight, with
Sarah Kempf finding both
Zoe McDonald and
Raegan Durbin for multiple kills to help the Bulldogs take the lead. However, the Catamounts responded and took a 20-17 lead. Butler refused to go down as
Elise Ward sparked a late comeback with a kill and back-to-back service aces to tie the set at 20-20. The Bulldogs continued to apply pressure, taking a 23-20 lead before the Catamounts answered with a late push and won the fourth set by two points.
Set 5 Butler (15-13)
The Bulldogs battled from the start in the deciding set, answering an early Catamount lead with a kill from
Carly Slusser and a block from
Zoe McDonald and
Sawyer Jones. Butler continued to apply pressure, with kills from
Sawyer Jones and
Maria Nix helping keep the Bulldogs within reach.
Marin Thaxton then sparked a Butler run with a service ace, and an error from the Catamounts created a two-point lead for the Bulldogs. Butler would go on to take the win with finishing kills from
Sawyer Jones and
Raegan Durbin.
Up Next
The Bulldogs will be back in action again Saturday, Aug. 29, at 5 p.m. ET against Clemson and Sunday, Aug. 30, at noon ET against Charleston Southern.
