The No. 5 ranked Barton Community College volleyball team kept its strong start in conference play rolling Wednesday night, sweeping Hutchinson Community College (25-17, 27-25, 25-20) inside the Hutchinson Sports Arena.
The victory moves the Cougars to 9-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play, while the Blue Dragons fall to 4-4 on the season and begin league play 0-1. Barton now turns its attention to a weekend trip to Texas for the Odessa Invitational, opening Friday against No. 13 Frank Phillips College at 11:00 a.m. before squaring off again with No. 14 New Mexico Military Institute at 3:00 p.m. in a rematch of last weekend's 3-1 Cougar victory in Dodge City. The Cougars will close the weekend Saturday with matches against Casper College at 9:00 a.m. and New Mexico Junior College, who is receiving votes in the latest poll, at 11:00 a.m.
Barton wasted little time seizing control in the opening set, taking the opening five points behind kills from Caroliny Cristiny and Paola Batista. Hutchinson closed the gap to 13-11 midway through, but a timely block from Aubrey Olander and pair of Cougar kills swung momentum back as Barton pulled away for the 25-18 victory.
The second set proved pivotal as Barton stared down four set points, trailing 24-20. Refusing to fold, the Cougars rattled off seven of the next eight points to steal the frame 27-25. Back-to-back kills from Cristiny and Brylynn Wicker tied it at 24-all, before Ori Briger's service ace put Barton in front followed by a Batista and Olander assisted block clinching the comeback and 2-0 match lead.
With momentum firmly in hand, Barton again controlled the third set, building a 15-10 cushion and never allowed the Blue Dragons to close within three the rest of the way. Indigo Pruitt capped the night with her career-high 10th kill to secure the 25-20 victory.
Pruitt and Cristiny powered the Barton offense with 10 kills apiece, with Pruitt hitting .381 and Cristiny finishing at a .233 swing percentage. Stasa Stamenkovic chipped in four kills and a service ace, while Batista, Olander, and Wicker each concluding with four kills.
Briger directed the offense with 16 assists and two service aces, while Janka Tolnai chipped in 13 helpers in the 6-2 system. Reigning KJCCC Defensive Player of the Week Mina Kaneko anchored the back row with a match high 19 digs, while Cristiny and Pruitt led the net presence combining for three blocks.
In a night short of offensive fireworks, Barton overcame a season-low .133 hitting percentage while holding Hutchinson to .092, its third lowest mark of the season.