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.”
