The Barton Community College volleyball team opened up a three game homestand Wednesday night at the Barton Gym with a 3-1 victory over Garden City Community College. The Cougars dropped the first set 23-25 but regrouped to take the next three 25-20, 25-17, and 25-23 to keep its historical record against the Busters unblemished at 32-0. The conference opener victory improves Barton to 2-3 while Garden City drops its first conference match of the season and remains winless on the season at 0-5. Barton will step out of conference play for its next two matches hosting Kansas Wesleyan University JV on Saturday in a 12:00 p.m. first serve then two days later host the junior varsity squad from Sterling College on Monday in a normal 6:30 p.m. start.
Barton got off to a quick 4-0 start before Garden City fought back to tie at five. The Cougars maintained the lead throughout the set until Garden City took their first lead at 23-22 breaking the eleventh tie of the set. The Busters kept the momentum tacking on three straight points to win 25-23 and capture the first Buster set victory of the season.
The Cougars again got off to a good start to the second building a five point early lead in part to the serving of Emily Deterding keeping the Busters’ service receive off-balance. Garden City crept back in to close to within 9-8 before four straight by the Cougars matched the biggest lead. The Busters then went on a mid-set run scoring eight of the next ten points to grab a 16-15 lead. Back came the Cougars behind the net play of Nathalia Gouveia and Sianna Cherweniuk to regain the lead and score seven of the next nine to flip momentum grabbing a 22-18 lead. Garden City closed to within three twice but Barton closed out the last two points highlighted by an Olivia Naccarato stuff block to even the match with a 25-20 score.
The two teams went toe-to-toe in the third set before Barton broke away from a nine-all tie scoring five of the next six points behind the serving of Lydia Konrade. Grabbing a point after their timeout, the Busters were unable to sway the momentum as the Cougars rattled off the next five to break open an eight point lead. Only allowing Garden City to draw with six, Barton again closed out a set with the final two points winning 25-17.
The fourth set was all Broncbusters building six point leads twice and forcing two Barton timeouts. Big Mo stayed on the Garden City court as the Busters were in prime position to force a decisive fifth set leading 23-18. Three straight Barton points including a Gouveia ace led to the Busters first timeout but did little to slow the Cougars as they kept hammering down adding three more to tie it up at 23-all. Having a freshman dominated team, it was the big plays of sophomore Emily Deterding that finished off the comeback. Following a long rally Deterding alertly placed a deep corner ball beyond the diving libero MaKayla Castro giving Barton only its second lead of the set and drawing the final Garden City timeout. The Busters were unable to get an effective attack off the serve of Mallory McQueen setting up Deterding’s crosscourt dagger for the 25-23 win and match victory.
Naccarato and Cherweniuk led the attack with a .333 percentage with Naccarato getting fourteen of the duo’s eighteen kills. Gouveia continued her all-around floor play picking up her third double-double hammering down twelve kills and eleven digs. Konrade led the defense with nineteen digs while McQueen matched Gouveia’s effort with eleven as the freshman put up thirty-six assists despite a mild injury.
