Rising sophomore Erika Bute is no stranger to success. In high school, she was a three-sport athlete, competing in volleyball, basketball and softball at Alden-Conger High School. She was named the Minnesota Sports Awards Girls High School Athlete of the Year following her senior year of high school and carried that success to Augustana as she was one of just three freshmen to be named to the first or second All-NSIC teams this year.

She then carried that success into an invite competing with the nation’s best. 

This past February, Bute was asked to take part in the U.S. Women’s National Team Open Tryout, held in the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Bute was one of 214 athletes from 94 colleges and universities that took part in the event. Among those 214, Bute was one of only 47 liberos in the event, and more specifically, one of two liberos from a Division II institution, the remainder came from Division I schools. 

When asked about the trip, Erika said, “My experience was awesome, I roomed with some girls who played for Wisconsin and [they] were from Minnesota, it was cool to have that connection.”

Bute was able to touch on what it was like to work with some of the nation’s best. 

Along with a lot of high-caliber players, she also got to experience the head coach of the U.S. Women’s National Volleyball Team Coach, Karch Kiraly, who has been the head coach of the national team since 2012.

“The same can be said about Coach (Kiraly), that’s who you watch on TV and to actually get to experience that in real life was unbelievable.”

Bute was able to allow herself to go into this event with the intentions of just playing to the best of her abilities and not letting nerves get in her way.

“I wasn’t extremely nervous going in, just because I was a freshman,” Bute added, "I just needed to go out there and play my best.”

She was able to talk about the transition she had playing with the girls at this event.

Using the opportunity as a learning experience, Bute was able to think about her freshman season but also beyond.

“It was definitely a humbling experience. I just came out of a pretty successful season in the NSIC and going to the trials was a good reminder that there’s so much more that you can always improve.” 

Erika is hopeful she will get another invitation to compete among the best in the nation for another chance to earn a spot on the U.S. Women’s National Team.

In her first year as the libero for Augustana, she helped the Vikings to a 20-10 season where she earned Second Team All-NSIC accolades. Bute also made her presence known in the single season record book at Augustana as she recorded 5.4 digs per set which ranks third in the category. She also tallied 583 digs throughout the season which places her seventh in the record books.