Butler stays undefeated by sweeping No. 7 Johnson County

The Butler volleyball team stayed undefeated on the season and recorded a win over a team ranked in the top 10 nationally with a straight-set win over Johnson County.

The Cavaliers came into the Power Plant with a 9-1 record and a No. 7 ranking in the latest NJCAA national poll, which was released earlier on Wednesday. But they ran into a Butler team that refused to lose. The Grizzlies battled their way to an intense 29-27 win in the opening set, then controlled the entirety of the second set on their way to a 25-22 win.

Butler fell behind quickly in the third set but eventually powered their way back to sweet the match with a 25-21 win.

The win is the first against perennial power Johnson County in Rick Younger's 10 years as head coach. It puts Butler in a tie with No. 1-ranked Cowley County atop the Jayhawk Conference standings with a 2-0 conference record and an overall record of 6-0.

The victory also ties the record for the best start to a season for a Younger team, as the 2010 teams also started with a 6-0 record.

As a team, Butler had a .286 hitting percentage. Hanna Flaming led the way with 12 kills, two aces and seven digs. Jordan Hoheisel had 10 kills and two blocks. Haleigh Lewis had eight kills and three blocks. Hope Harsh had 19 assists and one service ace while Kailan Kuzmic had 15 assists and six digs.

Butler will take its undefeated record on the road this weekend when the Grizzlies play in the Central Nebraska tournament on Friday and Saturday. The next home meet will be next Wednesday, Sept. 12 against Neosho County at 6:30 p.m.