The fifth ranked Butler Grizzlies started their season with a tough weekend slate in Council, Bluffs, Iowa at the Reiver Classic. The Grizzlies played four ranked teams including opening the season against back-to-back national champion Iowa Western on their home floor. The Grizzlies dropped all four matches in extremely close fashion.
Game One
The Grizzlies played the number one ranked team in the country on their home floor to start the season, and they were just a couple points away from picking up wins in every set, ultimately losing, 3-0 (25-21, 25-20, 25-23).
Sophomore Ivy Fink starred for the Grizzlies, earning 12 kills, while Sydney Lentz earned nine kills in her first game returning from an injury which sidelined her last season. Rainey Aven and Macie Shaver contributed with some nice passing, earning 11 and 12 assists respectively.
Game Two
The Grizzlies again came close in every set against Missouri State University-West Plains, ranked third in the country playing a tight match in all three sets but Butler again dropped the match 3-0 (25-23, 25-17, 27-25).
Game Three
The Grizzlies played two more games on day two of the Reiver Classic against Western Nebraska, ranked 17th in the county. Despite scoring 20 points in all three sets, Western Nebraska took the match, 3-0 (25-20, 25-23, 25-21)
Greta Santini starred with seven kills in the match and Mckinnley Smart had six, while Lentz, McKenna Rhodes, and Kennedy Kelly each had five.
Game Four
The final match of the weekend came against Indian Hills, ranked 19th in the nation. Butler won their first set of the season in the second frame, but couldn't quite pull off the match victory, losing 3-1 (25-16, 25-18, 28-26, 25-20).
Sydney Lentz had a monster afternoon, earning 17 kills to lead the Grizzlies. Carrie Roe and McKenna Rhodes both earned 12 kills as well.
After the weekend, Butler's record will drop to 0-4. The Grizzlies will look to bounce back with their first win of the season as they return to the Power Plant for their home opener, opening conference play against Cloud County in El Dorado on Wednesday.