Snapping a four match losing streak, the Barton Community College Volleyball team got back in the win column Saturday afternoon earning a four set victory at Garden City Community College 25-16, 12-25, 25-15, and 26-24. The Cougars improve to 4-6 in conference play and 6-20 on the season while Garden City falls to 3-8 in the Jayhawk and 8-17 overall.
Unlike in its previous match this past Wednesday at Seward County Community College, Barton got off to a good start in the first set. The Cougars buried the Broncbusters from the first serve building a 5-0 lead increasing out to an eleven point advantage at 15-4. A 7-0 run by Garden City made things interesting but the Cougars responded closing out the set scoring nine of the next fourteen to win 25-16.
The tide turned in the second set as Garden City was the aggressor in jumping out to an early 11-4 lead. Following two straight by the Cougars, the Broncbusters all but put the set away scoring seven straight for a commanding 18-6 lead. The Cougars were only able to string together a pair of points the rest of the way as Garden City evened the match with the resounding 25-12 win.
Trading points in the third, Barton gained separation with three straight to open a 12-9 lead. Exchanging points once again, a Kim Hockley cross court kill spurred a 4-0 Barton run to increase the lead to 18-13. Getting strong net play throughout the third, Jessie Sewell capped a long rally with a block keeping the Barton momentum and lead at eight as three points later Emily Deterding pounded down the coffin point as Barton took the 2-1 lead with the 25-15 victory.
Much like the second set, the Broncbusters came out the aggressors racing out to a 9-3 lead. A Barton timeout seemed to awaken the Cougars as Barton scored six of the next eight to draw within two and prompt a Garden City timeout. Trading points coming out of the break, a Mykela Riedl service ace tied the set up at 12 apiece. The Broncbusters took the next point but consecutive kills by Kylie Jones and Jordan Edelman keyed a 3-0 run as the Cougars took the lead at 15-13. Again the teams traded points until consecutive points gave the Bronbusters a one point advantage at 19-18. Following a Barton timeout Garden City built the lead to two but the Cougars responded with two straight of their own to tie it back up at 20. Consecutive Garden City points built a 23-21 advantage but an Edelman kill gave new life to the Cougars in responding to tie it at 23. The Cougars couldn’t take advantage of the momentum giving Garden City set point on a service error, but the Broncbusters were in a giving mood returning the favor with their own service error as the teams were back to deadlock at 24 each. On the first offensive attack, Tahje Ochs put the Cougars in match point advantage getting a touch kill over the Broncbuster block. Barton clinched the match on the following rally with an unceremonial hitting error by the Broncbuster attack giving the Cougars the 26-24 win.
Barton will begin a four-match homestand at the Barton Gym to conclude the home portion of the regular season before winding up the schedule with two road matches. Two of the remaining home matches come up the next week at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday against Pratt Community College followed by a 1:00 p.m. first serve on Saturday versus Cloud County Community College.
