Grizzlies Go 2-1 at Reiver Classic to Begin the 2025 Season
COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa – Butler volleyball began its 2025 season at the Reiver Classic hosted by Iowa Western on Friday and Saturday.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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23 | 25 | 25 | 24 | 10 | 2 |
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25 | 20 | 15 | 26 | 15 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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20 | 15 | 26 | 20 | 1 |
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25 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 3 |
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T |
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20 | 20 | 25 | 16 | 1 |
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25 | 25 | 14 | 25 | 3 |
Team Stats
Salt Lake Community College
| Game Statistics | Salt Lake Community College | Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .267 | .257 |
| Blocks | 7.0 | 11.5 |
| Digs | 61 | 69 |
| Aces | 5 | 7 |
Western Nebraska Community College
| Game Statistics | Western Nebraska Community College | Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .055 | .218 |
| Blocks | 9.0 | 10.5 |
| Digs | 59 | 62 |
| Aces | 2 | 8 |
Iowa Western
| Game Statistics | Butler | Iowa Western |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .328 | .313 |
| Blocks | 7.0 | 4.0 |
| Digs | 56 | 60 |
| Aces | 6 | 7 |
The Grizzlies (2-1) went 2-0 on Friday and 0-1 on Saturday at the Reiver Classic. The highlight of the weekend was besting No. 16 Western Nebraska in their second match of the new season.
Friday: Butler 3, Salt Lake 2 (25-23, 20-25, 15-25, 26-24, 15-10) & Butler 3, No. 16 Western Nebraska 1 (25-20, 25-15, 24-26, 25-20)
The Grizzlies started the season strong with a win over Salt Lake in five sets.
Despite the win, Salt Lake outhit Butler .267 to .257. The final two set's however, proved to be vital for the Grizzlies. In the fourth set, the Grizzlies hit .255 compared to Salt Lake's .143. In the fifth set, the Grizzlies put up an impressive .583 hitting percentage versus Salt Lake's .118.
Harlee Randall led the way for the Grizzlies, finishing with 17 kills and nine digs. Sophomore Ryann Hamilton also put out a strong outing, finishing with 14 kills and seven block assists. The second match on Friday saw Butler battle No. 16 Western Nebraska in a rematch from last season's five set loss at the Reiver Classic.
The Grizzlies avenged last season's loss to No. 16 Western Nebraska in four sets to go 2-0 on the young season.
Three different Grizzlies put up double digit kills in the match with Ryann Hamilton, Harlee Randall, & Miami Kirksay each finishing with 12 kills. Randall and Kirksay also finished the match with double-digit digs, with Randall recording 15, and Kirksay with 13.
Saturday: Iowa Western 3, Butler 1 (20-25, 20-25, 25-14, 16-25)
Butler eventually fell on Saturday, losing to host school Iowa Western 3-1.
Despite hitting at a better clip (.264) vs. the Reivers, Butler suffered their first loss of the season. After dropping their first two sets to Iowa Western, Butler would dominate the third set, defeating the Reivers 25-14. Iowa Western would eventually prevail in the 4th set, ending the Grizzlies time in Council Bluffs with a loss.
Freshman Miami Kirksay put up another 14 kill, 15 dig double-double despite the loss. Sophomore Ryann Hamilton also added double-digit kills, finishing with 13 on the day.
Next Up
Butler hosts the Barton Cougars in their home debut in El Dorado on Aug. 26th at 6 p.m.