The Butler volleyball and football teams have experienced great success this year, thanks in part to contributions from three transfer athletes.

Volleyball players Morgan Peterson and Erica Stahl and quarterback Matt Lancaster have helped lead their teams to conference tournament berths and a share of the conference title, respectively.

MORGAN PETERSON

Peterson, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State University, is in her first season as a member of the Butler volleyball team.

Early in the year, she was named most valuable player at the DePaul Invitational and made the All-Tournament team at the Pittsburgh Invitational.

“The one intangible that Morgan brings to the team is her competitiveness,” Clark said. “It’s pro level in terms of how competitive of a player she is, and that’s been a great addition for us.”

Peterson has also made strides in her offensive play. Her hitting percentage ranks fourth in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

As a junior, Peterson is one of the older players on the team. Peterson said she has experienced a major role change since coming to Butler.

“Here at Butler, I’m pretty much the oldest except for Rachel (Barber) so I have more experience and I am leading the other people instead of following,” Peterson said.

ERICA STAHL

Stahl transferred from University of Cincinnati last year.

The junior was recruited by Clark out of high school but chose Cincinnati over Butler. In an earlier interview, Stahl said she chose to come to Butler because of her respect for Clark and the rest of the coaching staff.

Stahl has had a dominant seson, especially in blocking. Her strong play has led to a team-high 153 blocks. This mark puts her second in the A-10 and 13th nationally.

“I’m here mostly just to keep the ball off the floor on our side and help out our defenders as much as possible,” Stahl said.

Similar to Peterson, Clark said Stahl is a fierce competitor.

“The thing that I think Erica will continue to get better at is being more of an offensive threat,” Clark said. “She’ll be a great blocker, but she will be able to raise the level of her hitting and make her more dominant.
“I think that (Stahl and Peterson) are both top all-conference players, and they will be next year.”

Peterson and Stahl have helped lead the volleyball team to a berth in the A-10 tournament.

The tournament will take place at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh, where the Bulldogs will face Virginia Commonwealth Friday evening.

MATT LANCASTER

Junior Lancaster transferred from Illinois State University, where he played 16 games in two seasons of football.

He had a full ride scholarship to play at ISU but said it was not the right atmosphere and decided it was time for a change.

Butler was one of Lancaster’s options when he was in high school. Upon leaving ISU, he contacted head coach Jeff Voris, and two days later Voris said he was interested in having Lancaster on the team.

Lancaster redshirted last year when he transferred to Butler. He has one more year of eligibility remaining.

Lancaster led the team to at least a share of the Pioneer Football League title, compiling a 7-1 conference record and 8-3 overall mark. Coach Jeff Voris said Lancaster has been a big help to the program.

“He’s been a great teammate and a heck of a football player,” Voris said. “He has all the intangible qualities that you look for in a quarterback.”

Lancaster recorded several strong statistics this season. He completed over 60 percent of his passes for more than 2,700 yards. He has thrown 21 touchdowns to only three interceptions.

Voris said Lancaster’s work ethic has been a key to his success.

“What he brings to the team is a guy who loves football and (he) has a work ethic that’s unmatched,” Voris said. “He constantly works at his game and week-to-week gets better.”

Voris also lauded Lancaster’s enthusiasm and leadership.

“He’s enthusiastic about practice and games, and no question he’s been a big addition to our program,” Voris said.

Lancaster was effective running the ball, too. His 408 rushing yards is second only to starting running back Trae Heeter. Lancaster averaged over 37 yards per game and tallied eight touchdowns on the ground.

“I’ve always been kind of a dual-threat quarterback,” Lancaster said. “I think coach liked that part of me, and I like running the ball too.”

Lancaster was a part of many major plays throughout the season.

He threw three touchdown passes in the fourth quarter to cap a dramatic comeback against Morehead State.

He also commanded a 95-yard game-winning drive against Jacksonville and scored the winning touchdown on a fourth-and-goal with two seconds left.

“It was surreal,” Lancaster said. “To go 95 yards in the hail and on fourth-and-goal, to have coach call my number, it shows a lot about him.”

With the win over Jacksonville, the Bulldogs clinched at least a share of the Pioneer Football League title.

Despite losing to Drake last weekend, Lancaster said he will always remember the successes of the team this year.

“I hated losing and everything, but when we’re out of school 20 to 25 years, what we are going to remember is that we won a championship, and no one can take that away from us,” Lancaster said.

The Butler volleyball team is making its first appearance in the Atlantic 10 conference tournament.

The Bulldogs (17-11, 7-7) defeated Saint Louis (10-19, 4-10) three sets to none Saturday night.

The Butler win, combined with a Duquesne victory over George Washington, put the team in sixth place in the A-10. It also gave the Bulldogs the last spot in the post-season tournament.

“I am super happy for my players” coach Sharon Clark said. “They have worked hard all season long, they really put it together and we are peaking at the right time, so I’m thrilled.”

Butler will play Virginia Commonwealth (24-5, 10-4) Friday in the first round of the tournament, hosted by Duquesne University, in Pittsburgh. The Rams swept the Bulldogs in their last meeting in mid-October.

The win against Saint Louis was the Bulldogs’ fifth straight overall, and Butler has won all but one set during its run. Clark said the team will be confident heading into the conference tournament.

“We’re going to get back to work and do the same things we’ve been doing,” Clark said. “Every one of those games is giving us momentum going into the conference tournament.

“We’re in it to win it, and we are going in wanting to win it all.”

The first set against the Billikens last Saturday was evenly-matched in the beginning, with the Billikens holding a small lead. Butler recorded a three-point run to take a 13-12 lead and force a SLU timeout.

Butler was up 19-15 and appeared to be in control until the Billikens came back to tie the set at 21. Down 23-22, Butler was able to win two straight points to make it set point.

Saint Louis fought off two set points, but junior Claire Randich was able to put away the first set on the Bulldog’s third set point.

Butler dominated the beginning of the second set as it jumped out to a quick 7-2 lead.

The Bulldogs continued their dominance out of a timeout, taking five of the next seven points to force another Billikens’ timeout. Following the break, Butler went on another four-point run and would dominate the rest of the set, winning 25-14 to take a 2-0 lead.

Butler led in the early stages of the third set, but Saint Louis was able to pull within one. The Bulldogs would not give up, and they took four of the five next points to take a 14-10 lead.

Butler dominated the rest of the set, taking 11 of 17 points to complete the sweep and earn themselves the conference tournament berth.

“I think that we have a confidence right now that we are rolling off of, and working in practice every single day, and those things are starting to pay off for us,” Clark said.

Leading the Bulldogs was senior Rachel Barber, who had 14 kills. Sophomore Erica Stahl had five blocks, and sophomore Brooke Ruffolo had 21 digs.

The match was the last of Barber’s college career. She is the only senior on the team.

The match Friday against VCU is set to begin at 4:30 p.m.

vs. Fordham

The Butler Volleyball team (13-11, 3-7) defeated Fordham (13-16, 5-5) in straight sets on Friday evening in The Bronx at Rose Hill Gymnasium.

The Bulldogs were in the lead or tied for then entire first set except for one point. The Rams would threat, but Butler responded every time to hold the lead. Fordham was able to stave off one set point. But a kill by Claire Randich on the next point put the Bulldogs up 1-0.

In the second set, Fordham led for the beginning stages of the set. The Bulldogs were able to tie it at ten. Later in the set, Fordham took six of eight to force a Butler timeout with the Rams on top 20-19.

Both teams traded points and Fordham was the first to get set point in their favor. Butler won the next point to continue the set. Fordham then got three more set points, and the Bulldogs fought off all of them. Butler then had a set point of their own, but Fordham responded with a kill to extend the set.

The Rams won then next point to give themselves their fifth set point, but Butler again denied them of a victory. The Bulldogs also were unsuccessful on their next set point. But the third time was the charm for Butler. Kelly Kyle knocked in a kill to win a dramatic second set 33-31.

Sophomore Belle Obert said that the key to winning the second set was their confidence and contributions from the bench.

“There wasn’t any point in that set that we thought about losing it, we knew we were going to win it” said Obert. [The bench] really showed the depth of our team. All in all it was just a fun set to play.”

“After winning [the second set] the message was that we can control our own destiny in this match” said Sharon Clark, head coach. “We worked to keep the momentum that came with winning a very tough competitive set 2.”

The third set stared out with a three point run by Fordham. Butler then responded with a six point run to force a Fordham timeout. The score was very close for the majority of the set, no team led by more than two until Butler took two straight to make the score 22-19, and force a Fordham timeout.

Fordham took two of the next three to force a Butler timeout with the Bulldogs up 23-22. The Rams tied the set at 23 on the next point. Butler then took the next two off a kill by Kyle and an error by Fordham to complete the sweep.

Leading the Bulldogs was Randich who had nine kills. Randich, along with Morgan Peterson had five blocks and Belle Obert tallied 11 digs.

vs. Rhode Island

The Butler Volleyball team (14-11, 4-7) defeated Rhode Island (9-15, 5-6) in straight sets Saturday evening in Kingston.

The only lead Rhode Island had for the entire match was when they led 2-1 early in the first set. The Bulldogs led 22-12 late in the set, but the Rams were able to take six of the next seven to force a Butler timeout. Butler then closed out the set three points later off a kill by Claire Randich.

The Bulldogs dominated the entire second set, winning handily 25-13. The third set was won in similar fashion, as the Bulldogs won 25-15 to complete the sweep. Butler held the Rams to a .021 hitting percentage for the match, and held double digit leads in every set. Obert attested their successes this weekend to their blocking.

“Our blocking is consistently a key to our success” said Obert. “When we block a lot of balls, we win and that was the case with this weekend.”

“Our strength all year has been blocking” agreed Clark. “The difference was how well we played the serve and pass game. We were just dominant at both of those skills.”

Leading the Bulldogs was Rachel Barber who had eight kills, Erica Stahl added six blocks, and Belle Obert had eight digs.

This was the Bulldogs’ longest, and final road trip of the year. Butler will play their last three games of the season at home. This weekend, the Bulldogs will take host two teams from Philadelphia. On Friday, Butler plays La Salle and on Sunday, they will play Temple. La Salle is 0-11 in A-10 play, and 4-23 overall while Temple is 6-5 in the A-10 and 16-9 overall.

“We had 2 great wins on the road and now get to finish the rest of the regular season at home” said Clark.

The Butler volleyball team is preparing to take on its next conference opponent, Saint Louis, after going 1-1 on the weekend and earning its first-ever Atlantic 10 conference win.

The Billikens (5-13, 0-4) are coming off a 15-12 record last year and a loss in the second round of the A-10 tournament to Xavier.

Saint Louis took back-to-back five-set losses against Duquesne and George Washington on Friday and Saturday, respectively.

Butler (11-7, 1-3) fell to Duquesne (15-5, 4-0) three sets to one on Saturday night.

The Bulldogs won the first set by a score of 25-23, using multiple-point runs throughout the match to pull out the win.

The second set was similar to the first, except it was the Dukes who had success toward the end of the set.

With Butler leading 21-17, Duquesne would go on to take eight of the next 10 points to close out the set and send the teams into the third set tied.

In that set, the Bulldogs got into an 11-4 deficit, and were never able to recover. The Dukes won the third set 25-17 to put the Bulldogs on the brink of defeat.

With the score 15-15 in the fourth set, the Dukes rallied and went on a four point streak.

A few points later Butler senior Rachel Barber seemed to have a kill that was tipped by a Duquesne player. The officials ruled that it wasn’t tipped, to the dismay of the Bulldogs, and the Dukes then followed with an ace to force a Butler timeout.

Duquesne would eventually close out the set 25-19.

Junior Maggie Harbison led the Bulldogs with 15 kills, sophomore Brooke Ruffolo tallied 15 digs and junior Morgan Peterson and sophomore Erica Stahl each had four blocks.

The Bulldogs defeated George Washington (4-12, 1-2) three sets to none in Butler’s first home conference match of the season last Friday.

The Bulldogs came out strong and dominated the first set, winning by a score of 25-16.

Both teams traded for the lead several times in the second set. With Butler leading 21-20, Harbison served an ace to force a George Washington timeout.

The Colonials would bring the game to within one point again, but the Bulldogs took three of the next four points to close the set 25-22.

“It’s always great momentum to go in 2-0,” coach Sharon Clark said. “We worked on being aggressive throughout the match, and we had a few errors with that, but I’ll take that as long as we stay aggressive.”

In the third set, the Bulldogs started quickly. With Butler leading 21-16, George Washington would rally to cut the lead to one and force a Butler timeout.

Sophomore Belle Obert hit two kills to set up match point, and the Bulldogs got the win with a block by sophomores Stephanie Kranda and Stahl.

Clark said earning a victory in the second set was huge.

Clark also said that the crowd played a factor in the team’s victory.

“(The crowd) always helps,” Clark said. “The energy, the excitement about playing at home, that first conference match, we kind of ran with that, and that was great for us.”

Obert led the Bulldogs with 16 kills, junior Claire Randich had nine blocks, and Ruffolo had 18 digs.

The Butler volleyball team is off to a 6-3 start, and contributing to this record are two new Bulldog faces.

Junior Morgan Peterson and sophomore Erica Stahl are transfer students who have made the transition to the Butler community both on and off the court.

Volleyball coach Sharon Clark said she is very pleased with the additions of Peterson and Stahl.

“They’re phenomenal,” Clark said.  “They are both great additions to the program. They’re great with the team and fit right in.”

Both Peterson and Stahl had different ways of finding out about Butler.

Peterson discovered Butler through a friend who knew a graduate assistant. She attended Middle Tennessee State prior to coming here.

Peterson originally transferred to Butler because of the pharmacy program, not to play volleyball.

“I knew that Butler had a good pharmacy school,” Peterson said.  “I did not know much about the volleyball program.”

Peterson realized that it was a good program and decided to play after talking to Clark and meeting some of the players.

“I really like everything about Butler,” Peterson said. “I like the coaching staff, the players that I met, and I like the campus.”

Clark is also happy with Peterson’s decision to play volleyball at Butler.

“She is serving really aggressively and very physical, and we haven’t had that in a long time,” Clark said.

Peterson was named to the All-Tournament Team at both the DePaul and Pittsburgh Invitationals. Through nine matches, Peterson has tallied 36 kills, 329 assists, 11 aces, 82 digs and 38 blocks.

Stahl was at the University of Cincinnati prior to arriving at Butler.

Butler was Stahl’s second choice when she was making her college decision. Stahl said that Cincinnati and Butler both recruited her to play at their schools.

Stahl, an Indianapolis native, already knew several of her teammates who are also from Indiana.

But Stahl said the ultimate reason to change schools came from her respect for the coaching staff at Butler.

“Honestly, the reason I picked Butler was because of the coaches and because of Sharon (Clark),” Stahl said.

Stahl described her transition to Butler as being easy and smooth, despite having shoulder surgery in the offseason.

Stahl had a great outing at the DePaul Invitational, where she was named to the All-Tournament Team.

“When she gets going, that really changes the game for us,” Clark said.

The middle blocker has played in all 11 matches for the Bulldogs this season, recording over 90 points for the team.

Both Peterson and Stahl expressed their excitement for playing in the Atlantic 10 Conference.

“When I heard about it, I was pumped,” Stahl said. “I know a lot of girls that play on the Dayton team.”

The Bulldogs have finished four consecutive seasons with a winning record.

Peterson and Stahl said they want to continue this level of play, but their ultimate goal as a team is to win the conference.

“It’s going to be tough,” Peterson said. “I do think we have the potential.”

The first A-10 match will be at Dayton on Sept. 21.

In the meantime, the team will continue to mesh and get prepared for its inaugural A-10 season.

“We love having Peterson and Stahl,” Clark said. “They add so much to us. We’re thrilled that they’re here.”

Butler swept its old conference foe, Wright State 3-0 last night.
The Bulldogs (8-3) controlled the match from the first serve.
Junior Belle Obert led the team with 10 kills, while junior Claire Randich, the Atlantic 10 Defensive Player of the Week, finished with eight kills.
Over the weekend, the Bulldogs hosted the Butler Classic and won two matches.
Butler defeated Western Illinois three sets to one in the opening match of the Classic.
The Bulldogs won the first and second sets in close fashion, winning 25-22 and 25-23, respectively.
However, the Leathernecks  (3-4) would not go away and went on to win the third set 25-21 to cut the set lead in half.
In the fourth set, the Bulldogs dominated early on, gaining an 8-1 lead. They would not look back and disposed of Western Illinois by a score of 25-19.
The story of the match was junior Maggie Harbison’s dominant play. Harbison racked up 18 kills and 19 digs, both team highs.
Juniors Morgan Peterson and Claire Randich also contributed with six blocks apiece. As a team, the Bulldogs compiled eight aces.
Butler fell to Stephen F. Austin by a score of three sets to none in its second match of the tournament.
The first set was competitive, with the Bulldogs holding the lead for the majority of the set.
However, late in the set, the Ladyjacks took over. The Bulldogs couldn’t rally, and Stephen F. Austin won the next two points to take the first set.
In the second set, the Bulldogs started off slow, falling behind 8-16. Butler was able to fight back to get the score to 19-21.
With the score 22-24, the Bulldogs were able to stave off two set points. Butler would then win the next point to go up 25-24.
The Bulldogs twice had set point in their favor but were unable to close out the set. The Ladyjacks were able to fight back, and with the score 27-26, Stephen F. Austin was able to put it away to take a 2-0 set lead.
Stephen F. Austin took the third set 25-20 to complete the match sweep.
Butler defeated Indiana (6-3) three sets to one in the final game of the Classic.
Butler dominated the first set and saw success as a result of its defense. The Bulldogs were never losing at any point during the set and won 25-18.
In the second set, the Bulldogs got off to a slow start and were down 3-0 before scoring eight out of the next nine points to force a Hoosiers’ timeout. Butler would continue to dominate through the middle part of the set, leading 17-10. But Indiana would not go away.
The Hoosiers rallied to eventually take a 19-18 lead. Butler then took seven of the next eight points to close out the set 25-20 and take a 2-0 match lead going into halftime.
Indiana dominated the entire third set and won 25-15. The opposite occured during the fourth set.
With the Hoosiers up 7-4, Butler went on a five-point streak to force an Indiana timeout. The Bulldogs would not look back, going on a 6-1 run following the timeout. The Hoosiers would not get within four points of the Bulldogs for the rest of the match. Butler finished with six straight points, capped by back-to-back aces by sophomore Belle Obert.
Leading the Bulldogs was Harbison with 16 kills, Randich with nine blocks and sophomore Brooke Ruffolo with 23 digs.
Butler next faces Southeast Missouri State in the first match of the Butler Invitational on Friday, Sept. 14 at 11 a.m.

The Butler volleyball team used an unconventional line-up to grind out a 3-2 win against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis last night.

The Bulldogs were without a starter and other players were playing out of position, but they used 19 team blocks to bring home the win.

Collegian file photo

Sophomore Erica Stahl led the team with nine blocks, while junior Claire Randich finished with seven blocks.

Junior Maggie Harbison finished with a match-high 21 kills. Junior Morgan Peterson led with 53 assists and sophomore Brooke Ruffolo had 17 digs for the Bulldogs.

The team finished the weekend 2-1 at the Pittsburgh Panther Invitational.

Butler (4-2) opened the tournament with a 3-0 sweep of Howard.

The Bulldogs dominated Howard University in its first match, winning 25-13, 25-22 and 25-14.

Junior Maggie Harbison led the way with seven kills, while sophomore Belle Obert and senior Rachel Barber, both had six kills.

Leading the Bulldogs in digs was Peterson with six. Sophomore Kelly Kyle and Barber also contributed with five digs apiece.

Bulter continued its dominance by defeating Coastal Carolina (0-5) 3-2 on Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs started the match down 16-10 in the first set. Butler tried to rally but fell short as the Chanticleers closed out the set 25-22.

However, Butler quickly recovered and controlled the second set. The score was 14-0 before Coastal Carolina scored its first point.

Butler went on to win the set 25-8.

The Bulldogs won the third set by a score of 25-17 to take a 2-1 advantage.

The Chanticleers would recover in the fourth set and win by a score of 25-23, setting up a winner-takes-all fifth set.

Butler reversed its play in the first set, dominating the beginning stages of the fifth. With the Bulldogs up 7-1, the Chanticleers would not go away.

Coastal Carolina rallied and made the score 9-7, but Butler pulled away and ended up winning the set and match 15-12 and 3-2, respectively.

Pittsburgh (4-2) swept the Bulldogs 3-0 in the last match of the weekend.

In the first set, Butler lost in a close 25-17 battle.

The second set was summarized by the Bulldogs’ inability to hold leads. Butler had leads of 11-7, 15-10 and 23-18, but Pittsburgh was able to claw its way back each time.

Butler ended up losing the set 26-24 to find itself in a 2-0 hole.

In the third set, the teams traded points throughout. In the latter part of the set, the Bulldogs were able to stave off several match points.

In the end, the Panthers were too much and won the set 28-26 to complete the sweep.

Leading the Bulldogs was Kyle with 13 digs, Barber with 12 kills and Randich with four blocks.

Peterson also added six digs and Harbison contributed 10 kills, with both being elected to the All-Tournament Team.

The Bulldogs will host Western Illinois, Stephen F. Austin and Indiana in the Butler Classic starting Friday.

The DePaul Invitational ended on a strong note for the Butler volleyball team, which defeated the host school in comeback fashion to complete a two-win weekend.

The Bulldogs (2-1) finished with a 2-1 record in the four-team event. Eastern Illinois posted the same record in the tournament.

Butler’s season-opening match saw Indiana State pull out a 3-1 victory on Friday.

The first set was close, with the Sycamores (1-2) squeaking out a 25-23 victory. However, the Bulldogs fought back to win the second set by a score of 25-17.

Butler fell into a 9-2 hole early in the third set and could not rally, losing 25-20. The roles were reversed in the fourth set, with the Bulldogs holding a 15-8 lead, only to fall 25-21.

Leading Butler was junior middle back Maggie Harbison with 13 kills and junior setter Morgan Peterson with seven blocks. The Bulldogs also received contributions from sophomore libero Jadyn Yarling, who had eleven digs.

Butler grabbed its first win of the season by sweeping Eastern Illinois Saturday afternoon.

The Bulldogs opened the match with a 25-19 first-set victory over the Panthers (2-1).

In the second set, Eastern Illinois was in position to nab a victory on five separate occasions, only to be thwarted by Butler each time.

The Bulldogs eventually found themselves up 25-24 with a set point of their own, but were unable to capitalize. The teams then traded points until Butler was finally able to put the set away, winning 32-30.

In the third set, the Bulldogs made quick work of the Panthers, grabbing a 25-17 win and a match sweep.

Sophomore outside hitter Belle Obert led the Bulldogs with a double-double, consisting of 12 kills and 11 digs. Peterson scored 15 digs, and junior middle back Claire Randich tallied seven blocks.

In the final match of the weekend, Butler started off on the right foot against the Blue Demons (1-2), winning the first set 25-17.

DePaul rallied to take the next two sets, pushing the Bulldogs into a must-win situation.

Butler came roaring back in the fourth set, which was highlighted by an eight-point streak for the Bulldogs.

After some back-and-forth play to open the fifth and final set, the Bulldogs recorded three straight points off an ace and two kills and went on to win the set 15-10.

Obert closed the event with her second double-double in three matches, tallying 16 kills and 10 digs against the Blue Demons.

The Bulldogs also received key contributions from Harbison, who had 10 kills and 17 digs.

Peterson was named the Most Valuable Player and earned a spot on the All-Tournament Team with Obert and sophomore middle back Erica Stahl.

The Bulldogs will be in Pittsburgh this weekend for the Pittsburgh Panther Invitational.

The new will meet the old this fall as the Butler volleyball team prepares for another season on the court.

The new is the fresh competition the Bulldogs will face in their first season as a member of the Atlantic 10 Conference.

Collegian file photo

The old are the four starters returning to the team—junior middle blockers Maggie Harbison and Claire Randich and sophomore outside hitters Kelly Kyle and Belle Obert.

Also returning are sophomores Jadyn Yarling and Brooke Ruffolo, who will share time at the libero position.

Coach Sharon Clark said sophomore middle blocker Erica Stahl, a transfer from Cincinnati, is a player to watch this season for the Bulldogs.

Clark also said she expects the team’s captains, senior outside hitter Rachel Barber and junior setter Morgan Peterson, to rise into key leadership positions.

Peterson, a transfer from Middle Tennessee State, will fill the role of setter for Butler.

Members of the team and coaching staff said they are excited by the new challenges and opportunities they will face in the A-10.

Players said they are eagerly anticipating traveling to new locations and facing both new teams and previously non-conference opponents within the A-10.

Butler was ranked seventh in the A-10 preseason coaches’ poll following last season’s campaign, which saw the Bulldogs go 16-14 overall and 11-5 in Horizon League play.

Defending A-10 Conference champion Dayton was unanimously selected as this year’s preseason favorite to win the conference. Xavier was picked to finish second.

The Midwest contingent of A-10 teams—specifically Dayton, Xavier and Saint Louis—are teams that players and coaches said they are most excited to play.

“Those [matches] have a little more meaning for us personally as we have played those teams in the past,” Clark said. “Because of their location and membership in the A-10, they are built-in rivalry games for us.”

Despite the new conference, Clark said the team’s expectations are the same as they have always been.

“We have been working hard to be the best team we can be this preseason in order for us to play our best,” Clark said.

Clark said she places an emphasis on focusing on each match individually. The team’s goal to win the conference remains the same despite new competition.

The team has been busy in its preparation for the upcoming season and, with a short turnaround, has wasted no time in scouting its new competition.

Coaches assigned each player an A-10 team to scout and introduce to the rest of the Bulldogs, focusing on everything from style of play and last season’s results to school locations and mascots.

Ruffolo said she feels Butler has an advantage because some A-10 schools have not faced Butler in the past.

“My personal goal for this season is just to wow everyone,” Ruffolo said. “I don’t think teams expect a lot out of us, and we want to prove them wrong.”

The Bulldogs have their first chance to do so this Friday at the DePaul Invitational, with matches against Indiana State, Eastern Illinois and host DePaul.

The team will play its first home match on Sept. 7 against Western Illinois as it hosts the annual Butler Classic.

As the spring sports season begins to wind down, many teams are already beginning to prepare for their next season.

The football team had its annual blue and white scrimmage, the men’s soccer team had its spring exhibition matches, and five teams have announced additions to their rosters for next year.

Let’s take a look forward and see how some of Butler’s teams will be changing for the 2012-13 school year.

MEN’S BASKETBALL

The men’s basketball team finished the 2011-12 season with a 22-15 record, averaging 40.8 percent shooting from the field and 28.1 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The Bulldogs were ranked eighth and 10th in the Horizon League in those categories, respectively.

The team has a chance to improve with the additions of senior guard and transfer Rotnei Clarke and incoming freshman guard Kellen Dunham.

In three seasons at Arkansas, Clarke averaged more than 15 points per game and shot nearly 44 percent from 3-point range.

Dunham averaged more than 29 points during his senior season at Pendleton Heights High School.

The Bulldogs will also be adding guard Devontae Morgan from Tampa, Fla., and guard Chris Harrison-Docks from Okemos, Mich.

Morgan led his high school team to a state championship last season, averaging more than 15 points and six rebounds per game.

Harrison-Docks averaged 21 points and five steals per game in his senior season.

The team will lose only two players—guard Ronald Nored and forward Garrett Butcher.

Butler will have to make up for the loss of Nored’s defensive prowess, as well as the experience and leadership provided by the pair.

Clarke and seniors Emerson Kampen, Chase Stigall and Andrew Smith will likely be asked to step up and fill those roles.

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

The women’s basketball team concluded its 2011-12 season with a 13-17 record and said goodbye to two senior guards—Devin Brierly and Kaley May.

Brierly was the only Bulldog to start in all 30 of the team’s games. She recorded more than 32 minutes of playing time per game, averaging 11 points per game.

Sophomore center Sarah Hamm is the only returning player to average more than 10 points per game last season.

Hamm will be joined by sophomore guard Jenna Cobb, freshman forward Hayley Howard and freshman guard Hannah Douglas, who all played key roles on the team last season.

Butler will also be adding four incoming freshman—forward Katie Brewer from Indianapolis, guard Blaire Langlois from Carmel, guard Lexus Murry from Indianapolis and forward-center Olivia Wrencher from West Chester, Ohio.

Brewer is a versatile player who has the ability to knock down three-pointers and battle down low.

Langlois has deep range on her jump shot but also has the ability to make plays with her passing.

Murry averaged more than 22 points per game during her senior season and can also be effective on the defensive end, where she averaged 3.5 steals per game.

Wrencher will bring size to the Bulldogs that will complement the play of Hamm and Howard under the basket.

SOFTBALL

The softball team will lose seven seniors at the conclusion of its current season, including four-year starting outfielder and third baseman Lauren McNulty, Butler’s home run record-holding first baseman Erin Falkenberry and catcher Mallory Winters.

Despite this, coach Scott Hall has five incoming players who could make an immediate impact on the program.

Alex Kotter, a shortstop from Vincennes Lincoln High School, had a .615 career batting average and was an Indiana first team All-State pick.

Chelsea Conover, an outfielder from Brownsburg, led her high school team in stolen bases, runs scored and on-base percentage for three years.

Audrey East is a utility player from New Palestine High School. East is one of the best power hitters in Indiana and boasted a .902 slugging percentage, eight home runs and 47 RBIs last season.

Taylor Lockwood, a pitcher from Southport High School, has good control and will be a solid addition to the pitching staff.

The same could be said for Kristin Gutierrez, a left-handed power pitcher from Highlands Ranch High School in Colorado.

Gutierrez, a 2011 Triple Crown All-American honoree, is a dual threat with her pitching and hitting. She led her conference with 127 strikeouts and recorded a .542 batting average.

The success of the pitching recruits could be key with the loss of senior pitcher Breanna Fisher and injuries to junior pitcher Jenny Esparza this season.

BASEBALL

The baseball team will add four players who could have an immediate impact next season.

Nick Bartolone is a left-handed outfielder from Harrison High School. Coach Steve Farley said he expects Bartolone to compete for position in the outfield next year.

Chris Marras, a catcher from Vernon Hills, Ill., will get the chance to work with two fifth-year senior catchers, Radley Haddad and Nick Hladek.

Nick Saldutti is a power-hitting first baseman from Westfield High School. He hit .477 with a .571 on-base percentage in his junior season.

Drew Small is a utility player from Zionsville. He was an All-State honorable mention.

His versatility and speed will help him compete for a spot in the outfield, especially with the loss of senior outfielder Mike Hoscheit.

The Bulldogs will also lose pitchers Dom Silvestri, Mike Hernandez, Brad Schnitzer, Brian Padove and Ryan Salvino, as well as senior infielder Griffin Richeson.

VOLLEYBALL

The volleyball team is returning eight players who played in at least 50 sets last year and lost only one senior in Maureen Bamiro.

Bamiro, a former middle blocker, finished with the second-best attack percentage in Butler history and sixth all-time in kills and kills per set.

Last season, she was voted All-Horizon League.

The Bulldogs will return sophomore middle blocker Maggie Harbison, who will likely be a key contributor after being voted All-Horizon League last season.

Butler will also add two transfer students.

Freshman Erica Stahl, a transfer from Cincinnati, will be an addition to the middle blocker position.

Stahl only has four sets of collegiate experience under her belt but was named among the top high school volleyball players by the Under Armour Watch list in 2010.

Sophomore Morgan Peterson, a setter from Middle Tennessee State, will have two years of eligibility with the Bulldogs.

She averaged 8.58 assists and 1.41 digs per set last season.