Indiana University Athletics
Catching Up with Kara Butler
4/13/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Water Polo
April 13, 2010
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -
Junior Kara Butler sat down with IUHoosiers.com for a question and answer session as the No. 15 Indiana Hoosiers (17-8) prepare for their upcoming games this weekend in Tempe, Ariz. against No. 9 Arizona State and No. 14 San Diego State.
Butler has played a key role for the Hoosiers this season, starting each of Indiana's 25 games. She has scored 18 goals to go along with 15 assists and 18 steals. Butler is also second on the team in earned exclusions with 40. She has scored multiple goals in five contests, and has also earned three or more kick-outs in five games this season.
On her role on this year's team:
"I feel like I set up some of the offense and when they pass it in I try to get the ejections to set us up for a `man up.' I feel like we can generate a lot more from that. We've been practicing six on fives a lot more and I feel like we just need to boost our confidence a little bit more in it. I think that's definitely going to be helpful this weekend because we have so many opportunities in games. We draw at least 10 or 11 ejections per game. We just need to capitalize on them."
On the adjustment to being a starter this season:
"There's a lot more pressure. It makes me really nervous, but it's so much more fun. We have a very deep bench so that helps a lot too. It's just a whole different style of play because you're so much more depended upon and you have to go right from the first whistle. You don't have any time to watch and sit on the bench, which is what I was used to before. The first couple of minutes you could watch and see how the game is going to be played, but now you just have to go right from the whistle."
On the upcoming games against No. 9 Arizona State and No. 14 San Diego State:
"I'm really excited for this weekend because we have been working so hard to prove ourselves this whole season. A lot of games have been so close and it's a disappointment to us and it makes us all frustrated. This weekend's going to be a chance for us to show a lot of those west coast teams that we are Indiana, that we shouldn't be taken lightly, and that we are very serious in what we do. It's a very good chance to prove ourselves and we've been working really hard for it. I'm excited to see the outcome for it."
On goals heading down the stretch this season:
"I really just want to prove ourselves as a team. I think that we have a lot of really good things going for us. It seems like one of our main problems is that sometimes we let down for a couple of minutes during a game and you can't do that in water polo. You have to play every quarter to your fullest. It's not that we're unconditioned because we're a really fast team. I just feel like we get too comfortable when we're in the lead and I want us to all recognize that feeling, stay with it, not let down, and keep going. This weekend will be a good chance for us to show that."
On her favorite part of playing water polo at Indiana:
"I like the team and the diversity on the team. Even though most of us are from California, we're all from different parts. If I played someplace in California I would know everyone and I would have played with everyone. I've played against some of my teammates that I'm playing with here. The travel is also really cool because we get to go to a bunch of places. A lot of teams in California bus everywhere and we get to fly to places. Arizona is going to be really cool. I've never been there in my three years here."
On leadership on this year's team:
"I feel like everyone on the team brings their own personality to their leadership so it just depends on who is perfect for what role. That's something great about our team is that we all take this sport seriously and we're all willing to put in our best effort. We have leaders that will step in to plays when there needs to be one and I love that about our team."
