Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Freshman middle blocker Melissa Cochran (Knightdale, N.C.) blasted 19 kills on a .621 hitting percentage to lead the Barton College women's volleyball team to a 3-0 (25-22, 25-18, 25-18) Conference Carolinas victory over visiting Pfeiffer University on Wednesday evening in the Dog House.
The Lady Bulldogs hit a season-best .304 to avenge a September road loss to Pfeiffer. Barton climbed to 9-12 overall and 5-8 in the league after evening its home record to 3-3. The Lady Falcons, who were coming off an impressive five-set victory at Mount Olive on Tuesday, slipped to 8-11 and 5-7.
Cochran recorded her season-high 19 kills on 29 swings, while only committing one error for her impressive .621 hitting percentage. Junior outside hitter Kati Wood (Pasadena, Md.) followed at a .409 clip by ripping 10 spikes and only one error on 22 attempts.
"We were in system a lot and that started with our serve receive which allowed us to run our offense," Barton head coach Jim Freeman said. "We did a good job of feeding the ball to Kati and Melissa, and they both had huge performances."
Pfeiffer scored the nights first four points and jumped out to an 11-4 lead on a Barton squad that did not arrive to Wilson from its match Tuesday night at Queens University of Charlotte until around 2 a.m. and then helped out with Barton's Day of Service all morning. The Falcons opening surge consisted of four kills by senior Erin Gray (Sneads Ferry, N.C.).
Junior defensive specialist Chelsea Fleury (Camden, N.C.) – who leads Barton with 0.4 aces per set – helped Barton turn the tide with six consecutive Bulldog points off her service rotation that inched the host to within one at 11-10. The hosts would take a one-point lead before Pfeiffer regained a late 22-20 advantage. Barton answered with the sets final five points including a closing kill by Cochran.
The Bulldogs never trailed in the second set and slowly pulled away to the seven-point win by hitting .500 with 12 kills and no errors on 24 tries.
The Falcons led for the first half of the third set with a freshman Kelsey Blauser (Rock Round, Texas) kill giving the visitors a 16-12 lead at the midway point. Barton catapulted ahead with an ensuing 7-0 run on senior Meredith Thompson's (Henderson, N.C.) service rotation. The Bulldogs added another run of five straight points before Cochran closed out the match with her 19th kill on a powerful right-side swing that landed in the far left corner.
Coach Freeman added, "I was pleased with how we handled getting back really late last night. We got up this morning to do their service work and then got off to a slow start but they responded and played with a lot of pride. I was very proud of them and happy for them. It was an impressive win."
Freshman setter Meka Hoover (Seagrove, N.C.) had a match-high 34 assists and freshman libero Amanda Grandy (Rolesville, N.C.) totaled a match-high 11 digs. Wood just missed a double-double with nine lifts. Thompson and Fleury accounted for all four Bulldog aces with two apiece.
Gray led the Falcons with eight kills but the Bulldogs defense held Pfeiffer to just a .143 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Cate Glendenning (Holly Springs, N.C.) had a strong match with team-high totals of 30 assists and nine digs.
Barton has nine days to prepare for its next match when the Lady Bulldogs host Conference Carolinas newcomer North Greenville University on Friday, Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. The game will serve as Barton's Dig Pink match.
