Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Junior outside hitter Kati Wood and freshman setter Meka Hoover both recorded double-doubles for host Barton College but Chowan University ripped 61 kills at a .215 percentage earn a 25-23, 18-25, 28-26, 25-12 NCAA Division II women's volleyball victory Wednesday night in the Dog House.
Senior Victoria Lewis (Stafford, Va.) helped the Hawks avenge a season-opening loss to the Lady Bulldogs with a match-high 22 kills and 17 digs. Sophomore Monica Ruffin (Richmond, Va.) also recorded a double-double with a match-best 23 digs and 10 kills and reigning CIAA Player of the Year junior Karina Monroe (Spotsylvania, Va.) added 14 kills.
Chowan departed town 10 games over .500 with a 13-3 overall record after winning its eighth straight match.
Barton slipped to 5-8 on the season with its third straight defeat. Wood, from Pasadena, Md., paced the Lady Bulldogs with 10 kills and picked up 15 digs. Hoover, a native of Seagrove, N.C., had a productive evening with a match-high 34 assists, 10 digs and four kills on six attempts.
The Hawks broke a 20-20 tie in the first set with a pair of kills by freshman Nikira Fults (El Paso, Texas) and Lewis. Chowan stayed ahead and a Monroe spike gave the visitors the two-point win.
Barton took advantage of several early hitting errors by the Hawks in the second stanza to take an early 8-2 advantage. The Bulldogs maintained at least a three-point lead the rest of the way to even the match with a seven-point win.
Five straight points by the hosts gave Barton a commanding 19-13 cushion in the third frame but Chowan put together an unlikely comeback. The Hawks used an 11-3 rally to serve for set point at 24-22 before Barton answered with three consecutive points to have its own shot at set point at 25-24. Chowan once again responded with the final three points to take the extended set that was finished off by a sophomore Megan Sawyer (Virginia Beach, Va.) service ace on the right line.
The Hawks carried the momentum into the fourth set rolling to the 13-point win. Chowan – ranked No. 44 nationally in hitting percentage – fired at .462 precision in the period while holding Barton to a negative attack. The Hawks, who are also ranked No. 10 nationally in aces per set, had eight aces.
Bulldog freshman middle blocker Melissa Cochran (Knightdale, N.C.) chipped in a match-high six blocks and eight kills. Classmate libero Amanda Grandy (Rolesville, N.C.) added a team-best 17 digs, followed by junior Chelsea Fleury (Camden, N.C.) with 10 digs.
Barton will host a pair of Conference Carolinas clashes this weekend entertaining Converse College on Friday at 7 p.m., and Erskine College on Saturday at 2 p.m.
