Butler University outside hitter Jess Admire is willing to look beyond wins and losses — for now.
The Daily Journal’s Player of the Year both in 2012 and 2013, the 5-foot-10 freshman, a Franklin Community HIgh School graduate, ranks fourth in kills for the Bulldogs with 49 through nine matches.
Butler, however, is off to a slow start at 2-7.
“All of our matches besides two have been have gone to five (games). Our record, it matters, but it’s not conference, and this is the time for us to come together,” said Admire, who’ll get her first taste of Big East Conference competition Sept. 23 at DePaul.
“If we were getting our butts kicked it would be a different story, but we’re not,” she added.
Butler opened its season Aug. 28 at the Rumble in the Rockies tournament, hosted the University of Wyoming.
The Bulldogs opened with a 3-0 shutout of South Dakota in which Admire collected 12 kills. Butler then lost 3-0 to Ohio State (six kills) and 3-1 to the host Cowboys (11 kills).
The trip west proved memorable for Admire and her teammates due to the constant reminders they were playing matches 7,220 feet above sea level. She saw the number printed on signs and T-shirts in Laramie with the words: Even the playing court.
“As long as I live I will never forget that saying,” she said.
Butler then lost all three matches at Michigan State’s Spartan Invitational but rebounded with Friday’s victory inside Hinkle Fieldhouse against the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Most recently, the Bulldogs dropped matches at home against Northern Iowa and Cincinnati.
Admire, who reported to campus Aug. 10 and majors in biology, is soaking up as much of the college experience as possible.
“It’s been a little over a month, but I love it here. Just the atmosphere of the college campus and how much freedom I have,” said Admire of late-night study sessions and the occasional dinner consisting of ramen noodles.
“The people at Butler are just proud of whatever it is they’re involved in. I love my teammates, and the people I’ve become friends with outside of volleyball are just so nice.”
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THE ADMIRE FILE
Name: Jess Admire
Age: 18
Family: Parents, Jim and Beth; brothers, George and Joey
High school: Franklin (2015)
Major: Biology
Kills: 49
Aces: 2
Digs: 16
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