Butler athletics announces upgrades to tennis and volleyball programs

Butler Athletics announced two projects that will provide significant upgrades to the tennis and volleyball programs.

Butler has begun construction on a multi-million dollar, 12-court outdoor tennis facility. The facility will include fencing, spectator seating areas, scoreboard and other amenities. The project was made possible through donations and a grant from the United State Tennis Association.

"We are excited to get underway on this project," Butler Vice President and Director of Athletics Grant Leiendecker said of the new tennis facility. "This facility will provide our Butler tennis programs and student-athletes with a home to train, compete, and represent The Butler Way.

"This facility will also serve the Central Indiana tennis community and bring countless visitors to our campus every year. We can't thank our donors enough for their incredible investment in this project, and we look forward to hosting matches soon."

See photos from Butler Bulldog men's basketball practice

Inside Hinkle Fieldhouse, the Butler volleyball team kicked off the Butler Invitational by debuting its new Taraflex floor. The Taraflex flooring goes over the Hinkle Fieldhouse court, providing increased shock absorption which reduces the force on the player's bodies, lowering the risk of long-term injury. Butler fell to Duke 1-3.

The Taraflex court was provided by a group of donors, led by Nancy and Dr. Dennis Lawton. The Lawtons have a long family history at Butler that dates to 1941 when Nancy's mother, Doris, graduated from Butler. In her honor, the couple established the Doris Huesing Barrett and Dennis and Nancy H. Lawton Endowed Fund for Men's Basketball in 2010. The fund provides support for the team's area of greatest need as determined by the head coach.In 2014, the couple established the Lawton Family Scholarship for Men's Basketball, which is awarded annually to a scholarship athlete. In 2019, the strength and conditioning room in Hinkle Fieldhouse was named for the family.

"A Taraflex court has been a goal for our program over the last few years as we have prioritized ways to elevate Butler volleyball," Butler volleyball coach Kyle Shondell said. "So many shared our vision and have generously supported this initiative, spearheaded by Nancy and Denny. When we surprised the team with our new court, it was amazing for Nancy and Denny to be there with us and to experience the true joy and appreciation from our team. We are proud that the Lawton Family name will be on the Butler volleyball court for years to come."