Butler goes 1-3 at Grizzly Invitational with lone win over ranked Cardinals

The Butler Grizzlies collected a ranked win against Trinity Valley but could not pick up the split in four games, going 1-3 at the Grizzly Invitational at Missouri State Universtiy-West Plains over the weekend.

Match One

The first match of the weekend saw Butler earn the victory against eighth ranked Trinity Valley, defeating the Cardinals in four sets (25-20, 18-25, 25-16, 25-23.) 

It was the Carrie Roe and Kennedy Kelly show all match, as the two combined for 11 kills each. Ivy Fink was close behind with 10.  The Grizzlies finished with 51 kills and a hitting percentage of .211. Kelly was dominant again with an individual percentage of .421. 

Match Two

The Grizzlies played West Plains, ranked 11th in the country, for the third time this season, and it was West Plains taking the second match of Friday afternoon with a 3-0 victory (15-25, 22-25, 18-25).

McKenna Rhodes led the Grizzlies in kills with seven, as well as two service aces. Rainey Aven contributed nine digs and 24 assists, as well as a service ace.

Match Three

Butler took a 2-0 lead against Jefferson College in the third match of the weekend, but they couldn't quite close it out, losing in a five match set (25-17, 25-18, 19-25, 21-25, 12-15).

Carrie Roe was sensational in this one, earning a career high in kills with 19, leading the team in hitting percentage with .378, also putting in nine digs to contribute defensively. Rhodes also put in a stellar match offensively, with 14 kills, also a season high. Ivy Fink was the other Grizzly with double digits, finishing with 11. But the Grizzlies just were not able to pull out a close fifth set.

Match Four

Butler again had a chance to win a match in the fifth set, rallying after falling behind 2-0, but wound up on the losing end of the final match in Missouri as they fell to Tyler (TX) in five sets (24-26, 22-25, 26-24, 25-22, 10-15).
It was Kennedy Kelly dominating in this one, as she earned her career high in kills with 17. It's her 16th match earning double digits in the kills department, and she finished with a hitting percentage of .382 with two service aces and two assists. Roe, Fink, and Rhodes also finished in double digits offensively, as Fink finished with 14, while Roe was close behind with 13 and Rhodes had 10. Rhodes also had three service aces as the Grizzlies finished with 11 as a team.

After going 1-3 over the weekend, Butler's record falls to 17-10 overall. It's a pivotal return to conference play for Butler as they travel to Hutchinson to face the Blue Dragons on Wednesday, before traveling to Liberal to face Seward on Friday, for two matches that could have huge conference title implications.