TRINIDAD, Colo. – The No. 17 Butler volleyball team split a pair of matches on Friday at Scott Gym, falling to No. 12 Northeastern JC and taking down Amarillo College.
The Grizzlies (3-3) play two more matches on Saturday, 12 p.m. CT vs. Frank Phillips College and 2 p.m. CT vs. Clarendon College to close the tournament out. Both will be streamed on ButlerGrizzlies.com/watchlive.
Match 1: No. 12 Northeastern JC 3, No. 17 Butler 0 (16-25, 24-26, 21-25)
The first match of the day for Butler pitted them against a tough foe in No. 12 ranked Northeastern JC. The Plainswomen made a statement early, winning set one 25-16. Butler pushed in the second set, keeping it close throughout and hitting at a .200 clip, their highest in the match, but they ultimately fell 26-24. Although set three was closer than set one, the Grizzlies hit the worst that they did over the course of the match and lost the set 25-21.
Freshman outside hitter Sarah Sullivan paced Butler with eight kills. Sophomore middle blocker Sydney Lentz posted six kills and six blocks. Freshman setter Anja Milosevic had a double-double of 22 assists and 17 digs.
Match 2: No. 17 Butler 3, Amarillo College 1 (22-25, 27-25, 25-16, 25-17)
The match with Amarillo got off to a shaky start for the Grizzlies as they lost the first set 25-22 and their fourth set in a row on the day, falling behind quickly. They showed extreme toughness in the second set, battling from down 24-19 to tie the set and ultimately win 27-25, tying the match at one all and gaining all the momentum. That run in the second set was just what Butler needed as they reeled off two straight set wins with neither being particularly close, winning the match 3-1. They hit a match-high .257 as a team in the third set on their way to a 25-16 win.
Sophomore outside hitter Maria Eduarda Motta had her first double-double of the season with a team-high 12 kills and 14 digs. Milosevic also had a double-double, adding a season-high 41 assists and 11 digs. Freshman middle blocker Raven Boone got in on the action with 11 kills of her own, making the most of her opportunities as the 11 kills came on 17 attempts for a team-high .647 hitting percentage.
