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.

Published Sept. 5, 2012

This Saturday, Butler’s football team will be taking part in its first game under lights since the early-1940s.

This is an important step for Butler from an athletic standpoint.

With the university’s jump to the Atlantic 10 Conference last summer, school officials would probably like to prove that they can host athletic events under a variety of circumstances (despite the fact the football team will not be part of the A-10).

Saturday’s game could help the flexibility of the football team’s scheduling in the future as well.

However, moving some football games and, before them, some men’s and women’s soccer matches to an under-the-lights setting could also pose a potential problem for the university.

Butler attempted its first athletic triple-header last September. The football team and both soccer squads had contests in the Butler Bowl on the same day.

The triple-header was likely a new and, at times, exhausting expeience for some members of Butler’s athletics department. Running one athletic event in a given day requires a number of different operations and activities to take place in very short amounts of time.

Doing those same activities three times over the course of eight to 10 hours would likely be draining.

Accordingly, the athletics department has not scheduled three events in the Bowl on a single day this academic year.

However, two separate weekends this month will see a great amount of athletic activity in short periods of time.

The first of these is this weekend, and that schedule reads as follows:

Friday, Sept. 7
Volleyball—Butler Classic, starts 11 a.m.
Men’s soccer—Butler vs. Northern Kentucky, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Sept. 8
Football—Butler vs. Franklin, 6 p.m.
Volleyball—Butler Classic, starts 6 p.m.

Sunday, Sept. 9
Men’s soccer—Butler vs. Central Arkansas, 1 p.m.

With no rest for the weary, Butler also has the following schedule assembled for Saturday, Sept. 29:

Football—Butler vs. Dayton, 1 p.m.
Women’s soccer—Butler vs. Saint Louis, 7 p.m.
Volleyball—Butler vs. Duquesne, 7 p.m.

It is great that Butler is finding opportunities for fans to take in multiple sporting events in a given day, but I see two major issues with this sort of scheduling.

The first lies in overextending and straining the athletics department staff.

I cannot speak for those within the department. I cannot say those individuals were exhausted at the conclusion of the triple-header last year, that they were unable to rise from their respective beds the next morning.

One might think that taking care of the operations and behind-the-scenes work for three athletic events in a single day—especially with one being the school’s first athletic contest under lighting since World War II—might be a bit stressful, though.

So this year, the staff gets to run that gauntlet twice in four weeks.

It may prove to be even more difficult this time around. Some teams have contests scheduled over each other.

Starting the finale of volleyball’s Butler Classic and the first night football game in more than 70 years at the same time cannot possibly benefit an athletics department staff that will have dealt with earlier volleyball and men’s soccer action less than 24 hours prior.

Slotting the women’s soccer and volleyball teams into the same starting time just hours after the conclusion of a football game is potentially problematic as well.

And then there are the fans that, on the surface, benefit from receiving the opportunity to view multiple sporting events in a given day.

There is clearly an issue with attendance at Butler’s fall athletic events. Figures are not high, and the stands of the Bowl and Hinkle Fieldhouse are nowhere near full during such events.

That is why it is difficult for me to understand how scheduling events on top of each other will fix this. Fans cannot be in two places at the same time.

Also, if a day is filled with events, the casual observer will probably only attend the first on the list. It is simply overwhelming to attend three athletic contests in one day.

Overwhelming is the key word in this discussion. If stacked scheduling is some sort of initiation into the A-10, the Butler community will have to live with being overwhelmed.

Otherwise, the school should realize that it might be taking on more than it can handle.

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.

Spring has arrived on campus, but that does not mean the school’s fall athletic teams are resting easy.

The Butler men’s and women’s soccer and volleyball teams are currently participating in spring seasons even though their regular seasons are still months away.

The men’s and women’s soccer teams are both in the middle of month-long exhibition seasons that run from late March to the end of April.

The men’s squad took on Oakland last Saturday and has four games remaining this spring. The women’s team has already faced three teams and will take on Indiana on April 21.

Men’s soccer coach Paul Snape said playing games against other schools in the offseason gives players a chance to face off against different competitors.

“The problem is when you play against each other, you can get stale,” Snape said, “so playing other teams is a great opportunity to stay fresh.”

Junior forward Katie Griswold, a member of the women’s soccer team, said spring games help the team plan strategy for the fall season.

“[Spring games] let our coaches see what we need to work on, what will best suit the team and which formations will fit our team best,” Griswold said.

The volleyball team has matches scheduled on each of the first three Saturdays in April.

Junior outside hitter Rachel Barber said that the younger members of the team take advantage of the spring season.

“(The spring season) benefits the younger players the most,” Barber said. “It’s about getting comfortable with each other and allowing the coaches to develop players.”

The football team may not have games scheduled for the offseason, but coach Jeff Voris has 14 practices planned between March 23 and April 20.

The practices will culminate in the annual Blue-White Spring Game on April 21.

Sophomore running back Trae Heeter said that the squad focuses on re-implementing the team’s formations.

It also gives younger players time to impress the coaching staff.

“In the spring, we re-install either our offensive schemes or our defensive schemes,” Heeter said. “It’s basically a time for the guys that have been here to continue to work on their skills and for the freshmen and sophomores to go out there and show the coaches what they can do.”

Since the creation of the Butler Athletic Hall of Fame in 1991, there have been 176 commemorative plaques added to  one of the walls in Hinkle Fieldhouse.

Each plaque recognizes the achievements of a person or team that was part of Butler’s athletic program.

The Butler Athletic Hall of fame currently contains 24 females who were, at one time, involved with Butler athletics.

Barbara Skinner and Barbara Greenburg were two of the first three women inducted into the Hall in 1998.

Skinner earned 10 varsity letters in basketball, softball and tennis before graduating in 1983.

Photo by Marcy Thornsberry

Skinner played alongside her sister, Elizabeth, who was the first person to score 1,000 career points in basketball. Elizabeth was nominated for the Hall of Fame along with her sister.

“Liz and I were always together on team, and we mutually shared a good deal of success,” Skinner said in a press release during her senior season.

Skinner played in 100 games for the Bulldogs’ basketball team, compiling 1,448 points. That total was third-highest in school history at the time of her induction.

Skinner was also named the team’s Most Valuable Player after her senior season (1982-83) and was an MVP of Butler’s softball team.

“Skinner is one of the best woman basketball players I’ve ever seen,” Jim Price, a former National Basketball Association All-Star, said in a press release following the 1982-83 season. “I haven’t seen another player that can cover the entire game the way she does.”

In her senior season, Skinner led the Bulldogs to an 18-6 record and an NCAA Division II Tournament berth.

She is also part of the History of Women’s Basketball exhibit in the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame.

Greenburg, a 1964 graduate, served as the first and only softball coach at Butler until her retirement from coaching in 1994.

Greenburg earned a Special Service Award in the Hall of Fame for helping to start Butler’s softball program.

Photo by Marcy Thornsberry

In 14 seasons as coach, Greenburg led the softball squad to a 263-247-3 record.

The inaugural team posted a 25-6 record in 1981. The following season, Greenburg led the team to a second-place showing in the state tournament.

In addition, Greenburg was a coach for the Butler women’s tennis team from 1975 to 1986. Her career mark of 121-38 included 12 consecutive winning seasons and three runner-up showings in the Association for Intercollegiate Athletics for Women.

Greenburg also coached field hockey and volleyball teams at Butler in addition to being a teacher in the College of Education.

The Butler volleyball team won two matches over the weekend to pick up their ninth and 10th conference wins of the season and gain sole possession of third place in the Horizon League.

The Bulldogs (14-13, 10-5) grabbed their fourth consecutive victory when they topped Loyola in four sets on Saturday afternoon in Chicago.

Photo by Taylor Cox

The Bulldogs played even with the Ramblers (4-20, 1-13) through part of the first set before going on a 6-0 run that would eventually lead them to a 25-19 set victory.

The second and third sets would see each team score a combined 49 points, with the Ramblers taking the second set 26-24 and the Bulldogs taking the third set 25-23.

Butler would use the momentum from its victory in the third set to take control of the match in the fourth set.

In that set, the Bulldogs jetted out to a 16-9 lead and held off the Ramblers to clinch the match.

“I think the main thing is that we are all sticking together,” freshman libero Brooke Ruffolo said. “Before every game we scout the other teams intensely, and we learn their tendencies.

“It’s just one of those times in the season where everything is coming together.”

Butler was led by freshman outside hitter Belle Obert’s 21 kills and Ruffolo’s team-high 15 digs.

The third victory of the Bulldogs’ current four-match win streak came in a five-set win over Wisconsin-Green Bay on Thursday.

Butler raced out to an early two-set advantage over the Phoenix (10-16, 5-7). The Bulldogs won the sets 25-22 and 25-19, respectively.

However Green Bay fought back to take two close sets, 25-23 and 25-21, respectively.

Butler regrouped and jumped out to an early lead in the deciding fifth set.

The Phoenix would pull within one point at 10-9 but would get no closer as the Bulldogs went on to win five of the last six points to seal the five-set victory 15-10.

Obert led the team with 16 kills, Ruffolo had 37 digs and senior middle back Maureen Bamiro added 13 blocks.

After starting 1-4 in Horizon League play, Butler has won nine out of its last 10 conference matches and is in third place in the Horizon League with one match remaining.

The Bulldogs conclude conference play on Friday when they head to Dayton, Ohio, to take on Wright State.

“We owe it to our senior to win the last conference match for her and go out with a bang,” Ruffolo said.  “Beating Wright State is going to be great, and I can’t wait.”

Senior middle blocker Maureen Bamiro ended her career at Hinkle Fieldhouse the same way she began it—with a bang.

Every set in Butler’s 3-0 win over Illinois-Chicago Saturday began and ended with a point from Bamiro, the lone senior Bulldog, including the match-clinching kill. Bamiro has started every match since her sophomore season and 118 of 121 overall.

The match was Butler’s (12-13, 8-5) second consecutive win and last home match of the season. The Bulldogs defeated the Flames (14-11, 7-6) 25-21, 25-10 and 25-23.

Bamiro, who is fourth in Butler history with a .269 career hitting percentage and ninth in blocks per set and all-time block assists, was honored during a break between the second and third sets in front of a crowd of 280.

“It’s a bittersweet feeling, but I’m content being done,” Bamiro said. “In my four years here, I’ve accomplished so much. That fulfillment is enough for me.”

Last season, the Bulldogs were crowned Horizon League champions with a conference record of 14-3 and advanced to the NCAA tournament for the second time in school history.

This year, a late-season surge has catapulted Butler to a third-place tie with Valparaiso in the Horizon League standings. The Bulldogs won seven of their last eight games, including a 3-1 win over the Crusaders Friday.

Following Saturday’s win against UIC, Butler coach Sharon Clark recognized the impact that Bamiro has had on the program over the past four years.

“She has been a dominant middle her entire career,” Clark said. “The biggest thing that she does is she shows people how to work hard. She has a great work ethic in the gym and has really shown the younger players how much hard work will pay off for them.”

Now the Bulldogs are focused on closing out the regular season and excelling in the Horizon League tournament, which begins Nov. 18.

“The biggest thing for us is consistency—going after teams and being the aggressor,” Clark said. “We’ve got to continue to do that, and things will keep going our way.”

Butler will face off against Wisconsin-Green Bay tomorrow and Loyola Saturday.

The Bulldogs defeated the Phoenix (10-14, 6-6) and Ramblers (4-18, 1-11) once each time this season.