The 5th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team put together a dominant showing in Odessa, Texas, going 4–0 at the Odessa Invitational with a pair of ranked victories on Friday and two sweeps on Saturday. The weekend improves Barton to 13–2 overall as the Cougars continue their strong start to the 2025 campaign.
On the opening day, Barton posted back-to-back 3–1 wins, first defeating 13th-ranked Frank Phillips College (25–23, 25–20, 20–25, 25–20) before knocking off No. 14 New Mexico Military Institute for the second time in a week (25–22, 25–20, 24–26, 25–19).
Suffering no letdowns on Saturday, the Cougars swept through their morning match against Casper College (25–23, 25–16, 25–16) before returning to the court just 30 minutes later to make quick work of New Mexico Junior College (25–15, 25–18, 25–20).
Barton returns to conference play on Wednesday, traveling to Dodge City Community College for a 6:30 p.m. first serve.
By the Numbers – Odessa Invitational Leaders
Offense:
- Stasa Stamenkovic paced the Cougars with a team-high 46 kills (3.29/set) on .288 hitting, while also adding 48 digs and 9 blocks for an all-around performance.
- Aubrey Olander was unstoppable in the middle, pounding 38 kills (2.71/set) on a blistering .429 efficiency while leading the team with 21 blocks (1.50/set).
- Indigo Pruitt added 33 kills (2.36/set) on a team-best .431 hitting percentage with 17 blocks (1.21/set).
Supporting Attack:
Caroliny Cristiny (30 kills, 2.14/set), Paola Batista (24 kills, 1.71/set), and Brylynn Wicker (22 kills, 1.57/set) gave Barton balance across all four matches.
Defense:
- Libero Mina Kaneko anchored the back row with a team-best 64 digs (4.57/set) on .961 reception efficiency.
- Stamenkovic added 48 digs, with Kailyn Follis (22 digs, .947 reception) and Cristiny (17 digs, .926 reception) steadying the serve receive.
Setting & Serving:
- Ori Briger guided the 6-2 offense with 73 assists (5.21/set) while adding 5 service aces and 31 digs.
- Janka Tolnai chipped in 32 assists (4.57/set) and 2 aces.
- Mileah Neal put up 45 assists in seven frames to lead the team at 6.43 per set with 19 digs (2.71/set) and a pair of aces.
As a team, Barton finished the weekend with 18 service aces, led by Briger's 5 and balanced contributions across the roster.
Friday – Two Top-15 WinsBarton opened the weekend by knocking off No. 13 Frank Phillips College in four sets, hitting .302 as a team and leaning on a dominant front-line performance. Olander led the way with 15 kills on .519 hitting and 11 blocks for 21 points, while Batista added 8 kills and 7 blocks. Stamenkovic (9 kills, 12 digs) and Wicker (9 kills, .500) chipped in on the outside, and libero Kaneko steadied the defense with 15 digs. Barton finished with 57 kills and 14.0 team blocks in the 3–1 victory.
The Cougars followed with another four-set win, this time over No. 14 New Mexico Military Institute, behind a balanced offensive effort and a season-best .301 team hitting. Stamenkovic powered the attack with 18 kills and 13 digs for 20 points, while Pruitt was nearly flawless in the middle with 12 kills on .571 hitting and 8 block assists. Batista (8 kills, 4 blocks) and Olander (6 kills, 6 blocks) added depth, while Kaneko anchored the back row with 23 digs. Barton's net presence proved decisive, piling up 13.0 team blocks and holding NMMI in check.
Saturday – Sweep StreakBarton carried its momentum into Saturday, cruising past Casper College in straight sets. Olander again dominated with 13 kills on .632 hitting to go with 4 blocks, while Pruitt added 8 kills on .353 hitting with 4 blocks. Batista (6 kills, 2 blocks) and Stamenkovic (6 kills, 13 digs) balanced the attack, and Kaneko led all players with 14 digs. The Cougars hit .337 as a team and recorded 13.0 total blocks in the sweep.
The Cougars closed the tournament with a 3–0 sweep of New Mexico Junior College, a team receiving votes in the latest poll. Stamenkovic (13 kills, 10 digs) and Cristiny (10 kills, .364) led the scoring, while Pruitt added 5 kills and 3 blocks in the middle. Briger directed the offense with 20 assists and fired in 6 aces, while Kaneko tallied 12 digs. Barton finished with 39 kills, 10 aces, and 6.0 team blocks to complete the sweep.