Butler volleyball handles Friends JV in three-set sweep

Butler volleyball had no problem with Friends University's junior varsity squad Monday night at the Power Plant, as the Grizzlies rolled in three sets (25-8, 25-18, 25-16) for the victory.

With the win, the Grizzlies (12-5 overall, 3-2 conference) have now won five consecutive matches,

Butler jumped out to a 6-0 lead in the opening set on their way to a first-set win over Friends. In the second set, Butler broke a 15-all tie with three straight points and closed out the set with a 10-3 run. The Grizzlies led by as many as nine points in the final set to complete the sweep.

"The real highlight of the evening was being able to get everyone involved," said Butler head coach Rick Younger. "We were able to do that this past weekend (at Dodge City). We need to develop some depth as we head into the middle of the season."

Freshman hitter Hanna Stuewe led the offense with nine kills and hit .375, while sophomore middle hitter Aliyah Bernard had seven kills and two blocks. Freshman middle hitter Savannah Espinosa had five blocks on the night. The Grizzlies had six players with three kills each.

Sophomore setter Andie Nibarger had a team-high 14 assists, while sophomore setter Alex Stiles added 10 assists. Defensively, sophomore libero Abby Goodrum had 13 digs.

Butler will return to Jayhawk Conference play with a 6:30 p.m. road contest against league-leading Seward County on Wednesday.