Butler Spring Match

[BeckysTXA]

Next Saturday volleyball returns to Frericks. Butler comes to town to kick off the 4-play day Spring schedule. Although in spring the coaches can change formats at any time, this appears to be set up as a normal match, versus a drills day or closed scrimmage, which is what the day up at Michigan the next weeken appears to be. The Butler match might also be best of 3 sets. That's common for spring.

First, if players stay healthy, the 2017 team should be very, very good. If I lived anywhere near Dayton I would not miss the first look at this squad, because it will be one of Dayton's best ever.

I really like this spring match up. It's excellent scheduling for spring. Both teams return almost their entire teams from last year. For UD, Megan Giardina, Julia Brown and Bri Pittman are no longer on the roster. None of those players factored into the starters for Dayton at season end last year. For Butler they lose 4 players, but only one was a starter - an MB.

Butlers setter is heading into her senior year just like Jane for us. She was the Big Easy FOY, which leads me to believe she has started since her freshman year. So has Jane. Both are 5'9" to 5'10" setters - short in today's standards.

The other big player for Butler is their OH Logan. First Team Big East and HM AA. We counter with Jess, First Team A10, Jamie - A10 Rookie Team, Lauren - who I think deserved some post season recognition and Jordan who got some experience last year as a freshman. Will also be interesting to see if Brooke Westbeld spends sometime at Rightside OH. Butlers OHs will have just as much experience as ours.

At MB Butler is much taller than our returning starters from last year. They at 6'4" and 6'2". That's a good spring challenge for Amber and Kendal and great for our taller younger MBs in Serria and Olivia who play against Amber/Kendall everyday in practice. Amber and Kendall are two very fast MBs. Will be interesting if height or speed prevails.

In the backrow, I'll match our team of Margo-Maggie-Laura against most teams and feel we've got this. They are going to be even better this year. Butler has 2 transfers. Their Libero is from Hawaii, which seems to always puts out good Libero. Their DS is Parada, who played/started for George Washington her first two years, so will know Dayton well. She is a senior, so knows our strong senior class well.

Butler has 2 seniors - their setter and DS. We have seniors at setter, MB, OH, and two DS. Butler plays in a lot tougher conference so you can not discount their experience. All this makes for a very good spring match.