Butler girls volleyball beats Fox Chapel to remain unbeaten. A difficult section schedule awaits
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler senior Sarah Lucas returns a serve from Fox Chapel in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Butler Senior Audrey Lehmen spikes the ball against Fox Chapel’s Emma DiRocco in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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The Butler Golden Tornados defeated Fox Chapel 3-0 in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
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Taylor Simon jumps in the air to celebrate a point in a girls volleyball game on Tuesday, Sept. 4, 2024, at Butler High School. Rob McGraw/Butler Eagle
BUTLER TWP — The gauntlet that is the WPIAL Section 2-4A schedule is right around the corner for Butler’s girls volleyball team.
For now, the Golden Tornado are focused on improving and building confidence before their section opener next Tuesday against Seneca Valley.
Butler improved to 3-0 on the season with a sweep of visiting Fox Chapel Tuesday night. The Tornado also defeated Cathedral Prep and Laurel this season. Their latest win came by scores of 25-14, 25-20 and 25-22.
“Once you get into game-play, it’s easier for the team to jell and mesh because you’re getting more reps in,” Butler coach Meghan Lucas said. “I have a very deep bench with senior leadership, and we have a lot of girls fighting to get on the court.”
Three leaders from last year’s team — outside hitter Audrey Lehman and middle hitters Channing Popovich and Brynn Cornibe — starred Tuesday with 14 kills, eight and seven, respectively. Sophomore outside hitter Raina Lewandowski added 10 kills.
“You want your middles and pins to be getting set and converting on those opportunities, and we did that tonight,” Lucas said. “Julia Mason (who had 34 assists vs. Fox Chapel) is a junior and is in her first year as a starting setter for varsity, and she’s done a great job for us.”
The second set was the most challenging for Butler, which trailed as late as 20-19.
“We were giving a lot of points away with our errors,” Lucas said. “We needed to bear down and start doing the little things right.”
A kill from Lehman handed the serve back to Butler, which scored six straight points to take a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.
Section 2 includes seven-time defending state champion North Allegheny, Seneca Valley and Pine-Richland. Those three programs have won seven of the last eight WPIAL Class 4A crowns. North Catholic, which played in three state championship games over the last five years (winning two) is also in the mix after moving up from Class 3A.
“If you want to be the best, you have to beat the best,” Popovich said. “It’s a challenge and I enjoy it.
“The team culture we have helps. The closer we are off the court, the better we’ll be on the court. Everybody goes really hard in practice, and that helps the starters improve their game.”
Butler did not qualify for the district playoffs last year.
“We’re going to scratch and claw in every game,” Lucas said. “We want to be competitive and hopefully, do enough to get back to the postseason.”
Butler visits Mars on Thursday and will compete at the Shaler Tournament on Saturday.
