By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
Sailing through the first two sets on the road Wednesday evening, the 8th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team dropped the third before ending the night with a 3-1 victory at Dodge City Community College (25-15, 25-19, 20-25, 25-21).
Looking for the sweep into the third set, the Cougars were outscored 10-3 down the stretch to force an extra frame but nine straight points for a 22-15 lead all but locked up the finale for its third straight win of the series.
Barton stays tied atop the KJCCC at 12-1 improving to 25-2 on the year while third place Dodge City falls to 10-4 conference and 19-12 overall.
The Cougars have two straight home matches to wind out the final three of the regular season beginning Saturday in a 6:00 p.m. first serve hosting Garden City. Honoring its sophomores at next Wednesday's 6:30 p.m. match against Hutchinson, the Cougars close out the regular season Saturday, November 2, at Cloud County.
Three Cougars reached double-figure kills on the night led by Phoebe Reyes' 16 kills and 5 blocks with Anna Wierzbicki putting down 10 kills on an efficient .348 center attack and accounting for a season high 8 blocks.
Aiding to Barton's season second best 12 total team blocks, Mya Thompson added 5 assisted with 6 kills while Aubrey Olander recorded 4 assisted, to go along with, 7 kills on a .294 attack efficiency.
Kassidy Nixon recorded her team leading 10th double-double performance in posting a 12 kill and 14 dig effort while also serving up three of the Cougars' eight service aces.
Mina Kaneko led the backline defense with 22 digs and bumped up a career high seven assists helping the squad to season most 57 assists.
Hitting over .300 in the opening two frames, the Cougars cooled off in the final two sets in finishing at .222 overall for their 17th straight match exceeding the .200 mark.
Elena Stankovic keyed the first wave of the 6-2 offense with 26 assists and 12 digs for her second double-double of the year while Maurin Reyes posted her fourth double-double behind 22 assists and 10 digs.
RECAP
Trading points to begin the night, Barton broke the fourth tie on a 5-0 run to later double-up the Conqs at 12-6.
After Dodge City chipped off half of the deficit, Naya Danenberg and Nixon kills sparked a trio of points prompting the Conqs' first timeout trailing 19-14. A service error interrupted the spurt but Olander's stuff of Dodge City's overhit followed by Nixon's kill and consecutive P. Reyes attacks highlighted another spurt in closing out the set 6-1 for the ten point victory.
Four straight and 6-of-7 opened up a Barton 15-10 second set lead, extending it seven at 19-12. Following three straight by the Conquistadors out of their timeout, a pair of Wierzbicki attacks and Danenberg's ace answered the call in Barton riding out the six-point win for a 2-0 match lead.
Despite Barton jumping out to a 5-2 and eventual 12-8 third frame lead, the Cougars were unable to shake the Conquistadors as a Dodge City 5-0 run flipped the advantage to the home squad at 20-17. The Cougars cut the deficit to two twice but a back-killing three straight put Dodge City in the driver's seat in forcing a fourth set.
Barton again took an early big lead of 5-1 in the finale with Dodge City utilizing a pair of three straight stretches in tying it up at eight. Trading points resulting in an 11-all deadlock, Olander's middle attack and a Conq error put Barton up by two. Dodge City fired back with four straight before the Cougars answered with a deciding 9-0 run highlighted by four P. Reyes kills and dominant Wierzbicki net play pushing Barton's advantage to 22-15.
After Wierzbicki and Thompson's teamed up wall of denial gave Barton set point, the Conquistadors held off the party with four straight before a service error sealed the match.