CNT-Minneapolis Team
 
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- Missouri State junior-to-be Emily Butters will spend part of her summer with USA Volleyball for the second straight year. The libero will join teammate Lynsey Wright, whose inclusion on the team was announced earlier this month, at the U.S. Collegiate National Team-Minneapolis program after a solid performance at the U.S. Women's National Team Open Tryouts held in March.

The squad, which is part of USA Volleyball's High Performance pipeline and is considered a second tryout for the U.S. Women's National Team, will train from June 22-26 at the University of Minnesota. Afterward, the athletes will be assigned to one of three 12-member teams and compete in a round-robin format at the Minneapolis Convention Center from June 27-30. The matches are being held in conjunction with the USA Volleyball Girls' Junior National Championships under the same roof.

Missouri State's libero in every set in 2016, Butters ranked fifth in the MVC with 4.35 digs per set, and currently sits in 14th place on Missouri State's career digs list with 1,146 as the first sophomore in school history to reach 1,000 career digs. A native of Richmond, Texas, Butters had at least 10 digs in 33 matches last season, passing the 20-dig barrier nine times with a high of 27 against Illinois State on Nov. 25.

Also competing for USA Volleyball this summer is MSU senior-to-be Lily Johnson, who was selected last month for the exclusive U.S. Collegiate National Team Thailand Tour roster, which takes place May 19-30.

The Bears finished the 2016 season 26-9 overall and won the Missouri Valley Conference regular season title with a 16-2 league mark, earning a spot in the NCAA Tournament for the ninth time since 2003.