By TODD MOORE
Barton Sports Info
In a battle for first place in the KJCCC, the 6th ranked Barton Community College volleyball team outlasted No. 13 Colby Community College in a dramatic five-set clash Saturday evening, pulling out a 3-2 home victory (25-23, 25-19, 15-25, 23-25, 15-11).
The Cougars seized early momentum behind sharp first-set execution, taking the opening two frames before Colby responded with a pair of late rallies to force a decisive fifth. Barton, however, rediscovered its rhythm when it mattered most, hitting .333 in the final set to complete the key victory.
Avenging its lone league setback from earlier in the season at Colby, the victory also positions the Cougars firmly in control of the KJCCC championship race heading into the final week of regular-season play, beginning Monday at Seward County Community College, the lone other team to hand Colby a conference loss, in a 6:30 p.m. first serve at The Greenhouse.
Barton improved to 12-1 in league play and 25-5 overall, while the Trojans slipped to 13-2 in conference and 21-6 on the season.
Offensive numbers were held below each team's usual region-leading efficiency, with Barton coming out on top at .153 hitting while Colby finished at .136 overall.
Stasa Stamenkovic's 15th double-double of the season paced the Cougars on both ends, leading with 14 kills and 21 digs. Caroliny Cristiny followed closely with 13 kills and eight digs.
Barton's middle tandem combined for 13 kills on .312 efficiency with four total blocks, led by Aubrey Olander's eight kills at a .278 clip and four denials, while freshman Indigo Pruitt added five kills (.357) and two blocks.
Setter Ori Briger steered the offense with 24 assists and 11 digs for her 10th double-double of the season, while fellow setter Mileah Neal distributed 15 assists and contributed nine digs.
Joining the defensive effort on the back line, Mina Kaneko anchored the coverage with 15 digs, two service aces, and seven assists.
Set 1
Battling point-for-point through much of the opener, Colby pulled ahead 17–14 and later 22–20 before Barton flipped momentum late. Stamenkovic's pair of kills bookended a 5–1 closing surge, with Pruitt providing the go-ahead attack to secure the opener.
Set 2
Jumping out to a 4–0 start, Barton weathered a mid-set tie at 11–11 before breaking loose behind a Kaneko ace that sparked an 8–0 run. Colby's late five-point push trimmed the gap to 21–18, but the Cougars closed out the frame on kills from Olander and Stamenkovic to take a commanding two-set lead.
Set 3
Colby seized control immediately with a 6–0 burst and never looked back, capitalizing on Barton miscues to send the match to a fourth set.
Set 4
Barton nudged ahead 11–9, but back-to-back aces fueled a four-point Colby run to swing momentum at 14–12. After the set's 14th tie at 23–all, a Trojan kill followed by one of their 11 service aces of the night extended the match to a decisive fifth.
Set 5
Following a brief delay due to a fire alarm with Barton leading 3–2, an Olander block and two Colby attack errors shifted all the momentum to the Cougars for a 6–2 cushion. The Trojans rallied to within 10–9, but Barton countered with a 3–0 push on kills from Paola Batista and Cristiny before closing out the night as the final two points came on a service error and an attack sailing long.
Record Book Watch
Mina Kaneko
- 10th Single Season Digs (522) – 18 shy of Mylena Testoni's 540 (2021)
- 6th Career Digs (979) – 35 away from Mylena Testoni's 1,014 (2020-21)
Aubrey Olander
- 20th Single Season Total Blocks (133) – 22 shy of top ten
- 6th Career Total Blocks (257) – 3 behind Christi Ensz's 260 (1988-89)
- 6th Single Season Assisted Blocks (115) – 3 from Rayanne de Oliveira's 118 (2018)