Butler volleyball stuns No. 19 Colby in three-set home sweep

Butler volleyball knocked off 19th-ranked Colby with a three-set home sweep Saturday afternoon at the Power Plant.

The Grizzlies (17-7 overall, 7-4) edged Colby 26-24, 25-14, 25-20 to remain undefeated at home in eight matches this season. Butler also earned its 11th sweep on the year.

Butler had a key 7-0 run in the opening set against the Trojans while building a 10-6 lead. The Grizzlies then led by as many as eight, taking a 20-12 advantage followling an Andie Nibarger ace. Colby would rally back to tie the set at 24-all, but Butler scored the final two points on a pair of hitting errors by the Trojans to win the set.

Another Butler 7-0 run midway through the second set helped the Grizzlies take an 18-11 lead. Butler then ended the set with a 6-1 run to take a 2-0 lead in the match.

In the final set, Colby held a 12-8 lead before Butler recaptured a one-point lead with a 5-0 run. With the Grizzlies leading 17-16, Butler scored five straight points to gain a six-point lead in the set and would go on to win by five.

Nicole Klusener led Butler with 11 kills and added 12 digs, while Aliyah Bernard finished with 10 kills and a team-high three blocks. Andie Nibarger and Alex Stiles each had 16 assists, while Nibarger had two aces. Abby Goodrum led the Grizzlies in digs with 21, while Brooke Fender added 19 digs to go along with eight kills.

Butler will next host Hutchinson in a 6:30 p.m. match on Monday.