Grizzlies win first conference championship in program history with 3-0 win over Cloud

The Butler Grizzlies volleyball team clinched the outright Jayhawk league title for the first time on Saturday, continuing one of the most dominant seasons in program history, sweeping the Cloud County Thunderbirds 3-0 (25-9, 25-22, 25-14) on Sophomore Night at the Power Plant.

With the win, the Grizzlies improved to 29-2 on the year and 13-0 in conference play. They will finish the season undefeated at home, winning all 11 matches they played at the Power Plant. The Grizzlies improved their winning streak to 25 consecutive matches.

The first set was a tight affair, and the Thunderbirds tied it at 9, before Grizzlies Junior Vanja Przuli served the final 16 points to swing the set in the Grizzlies' favor, as they finished the match with a 16-0 run. Przuli finished the set with two aces and two kills, and Jaryn Benning and Ivy Fink finished the set with four kills.

The second set was more tense, as the Grizzlies trailed for most of it. Cloud County got it to 15-13, before the Grizzlies rallied again, forcing a 6-4 run and eventually winning in close fashion, 25-22.

In the third set, the Grizzlies did what all champions do: they finished. The Grizzlies were all business in the closing frame, jumping out to a 9-2 lead, and eventually winning 25-14 to clinch their first ever league championship.

"They're really just overall a really fun group of young ladies." head coach Lisa Lechtenberg said after the win. "We have multiple players that get the job done, and they work well with each other on and off the floor."

It was sophomore night at the Power Plant, and the Grizzlies honored five sophomores and two juniors who would be playing their last ever regular season game in El Dorado.

"Not every sophomore gets to have sophomore night and win a conference title on their home floor, so it was pretty special for these young ladies and it was well deserved." Lechtenberg said.

The Grizzlies will finish their regular season on the road next week, looking to finish the conference schedule unbeaten, traveling to Seward County and Garden City on Thursday and Friday.