A new week is here for Butler athletics, and it's time to check in and see where Grizzly football, soccer and volleyball stacked up in the NJCAA polls.
Football
Grizzly football entered last week ranked 13th in the NJCAA D1 poll and went out and earned a 38-19 win over Highland at home. The win pushed Butler up a spot to No. 12 in the week two NJCAA D1 football rankings. The No. 12 ranking is third best in the KJCCC as conference foe Hutchinson is ranked first and Garden City is two spots ahead of Butler at No. 10.
Future Butler opponents in the rankings include Iowa Western (2nd) and Iowa Central (5th). Dodge City received votes this week.
The Grizzlies are off this week before returning to action on Saturday, Sept. 16 when Independence travels to El Dorado for a 7 p.m. first kick.
Soccer
Butler soccer entered the week ranked 11th with KCK and No. 5 Monroe on their schedule. They came out of the week with a 1-1 draw with KCK and dominated No. 5 Monroe in Overland Park. The successful week found the Grizzlies slotted in at No. 9 in the week two NJCAA D1 women's soccer poll.
Barton sits one spot ahead of Butler in 8th while Hutchinson is ranked 16th and Cowley County 18th. Future opponent Hill College is 12th.
The Grizzlies travel to No. 16 Hutchinson on Wednesday for a conference game at 6 p.m. before returning home on Saturday for a game with No. 18 Cowley County at 7 p.m..
Volleyball
The Grizzly volleyball squad entered the week at No. 17 in the NJCAA D1 volleyball rankings but after a 1-1 week they found themselves on the outside looking in.
Butler traveled to Cloud County, who currently is 9-2 overall, 1-1 in the KJCCC and in third place in the conference. Butler fell 3-1 on the road. They redeemed themselves in their home opener on Saturday when Pratt came to town with a 3-0 sweep of the Beavers. Somehow, the Grizzlies fell out of the week two rankings released Tuesday morning, not receiving votes.
Currently the only KJCCC volleyball team that is ranked in the D1 poll is Barton at No. 20, the last spot.
Butler is 6-4 overall and 1-1 in KJCCC play. They host Friends University JV and Cowley County on Friday at the Power Plant for a doubleheader with Butler playing Friends at 11 a.m. and Cowley at 1 p.m.
