Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-The Erskine College women's volleyball team produced a 25-16, 25-18, 25-13 Conference Carolinas sweep of host Barton College by hitting .358 as a team Saturday afternoon in the Dog House.
The senior middle blocker duo of Jamie Murray (Hermann, Mo.) and Sandra Campbell (Pilot Point, Texas) combined for 30 kills as the Flying Fleet won its season-best fourth consecutive match. Erskine departed for Due West, S.C., with an 11-6 overall record and a 6-1 conference mark.
The Lady Bulldogs (6-9 Overall, 2-5 Conf.) were held to a season-low .078 hitting percentage. Juniors Kati Wood (Pasadena, Md.) and Meredith Watkins (Oxford, N.C.) paced Barton's attack with nine and six kills, respectively.
Defensively, freshman Amanda Grandy (Rolesville, N.C.) tallied a team-high 11 assists. Senior Meredith Thompson (Henderson, N.C.) added a season-best 10 digs for the second straight day.
Erskine scored the first four points of the match but Barton quickly answered with a 9-3 run to take a two-point lead that was highlighted by service aces by junior Chelsea Fleury (Camden, N.C.) and freshman Skye Square (Manassas, Va.) and a pair of kills by Wood. The Bulldogs continued to lead 14-12 on a freshman Meka Hoover (Seagrove, N.C.) kill before the Fleet took control with nine straight points. After Barton netted a pair of points, Erskine rattled off the final four points to take the opener by nine.
The Bulldogs once again had an early lead in the middle set at 4-2 on a Watkins spike before the Flying Fleet soared ahead with an 8-2 rally. Barton closed the gap to within two twice but Erskine closed out the frame with a 7-2 surge.
A 12-2 Erskine outburst to start to the final set that included five kills by Murray kept Barton from any chances of making a comeback. Erskine maintained at least a seven point cushion the rest of the way before closing out the afternoon with a 12-point win.
Murray ripped a match-high 16 kills at a .424 rate and Campbell blasted 14 spikes at a .444 clip. Junior two-time All-Conference setter Larz Chabra (Mount Pleasant, S.C.) set up the offensive with 32 assists. Juniors Liz Massey (Greenville, S.C.) and Brooke Dodge (Duncan, S.C.) kept Barton from scoring points with 15 and 13 digs, respectively.
Barton entered the week ranked second nationally in blocks but was held to a season-low three team blocks against a talented Erskine squad that finished 2010 as the league's regular season and tournament runner-up.
Campbell made a match-high four block assists.
Barton next visits Conference Carolinas archrival Mount Olive College on Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Bulldogs defeated the Trojans in non-conference play earlier this season.
