Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-A pair of kills by senior Kati Wood after three consecutive service aces by sophomore Amanda Grandy finished off a 3-2 (11-25, 26-24, 21-25, 25-22, 15-9) Conference Carolinas women's volleyball victory for host Barton College over North Greenville University on Saturday in the Dog House.
Wood – who was honored before the match for reaching 1,000 career kills on the road last weekend – continued to add to her impressive total with a match-high 18 kills. Grandy set up the Lady Bulldogs offense with 42 assists while making a season-high 18 digs.
"Today was an exciting match and I believe we are turning the corner," Barton first-year head coach Jeff Lennox said. "Kati Wood really stepped up for us today. She continually shows her determination and it was great to see her hit well on the day she was honored for 1,000 kills."
Barton snapped a five-match losing streak and improved to 5-14 overall and 3-8 in the league. North Greenville departed at 10-12 and 4-6. The two teams have now played a five-set match in both meetings since North Greenville joined Conference Carolinas in the summer of 2011.
The Crusaders hit .300 en route to the dominating 14-point win in the first set. NGU looked in control of the match with a 22-17 lead in the second set before the Lady Bulldogs started their fight back. Barton scored the next five points on senior Meredith Watkins' service rotation but NGU netted two of the following three points to serve for set point. With North Greenville poised to take a 2-0 lead, a kill by Barton sophomore Jillian Sherman tied the score at 24-all before Wood closed out the 26-24 win with back-to-back kills to tie the match.
Barton held a 13-12 edge midway through the third set after another kill by Wood. North Greenville responded with the next four points, capped by a service ace by Rebekah Mayes to jump ahead for the rest of the frame. Mayes helped the Crusaders regain the one-set advantage with two more kills on points 24 and 25.
The Royal Blue and White kept fighting and another blast by Wood had BC up 16-12. The Lady Bulldogs continued to lead by four, 18-14, late but after a NGU timeout, the Crusaders scored the next five points including three consecutive kills by Yomi Adeyeye to take a 19-18 edge. The Bulldogs barked back with wins on the next three points with a set-tying smash by Cochran, a go-ahead ace by Wood and a kill by senior Sammy Jo Hinnant. North Greenville was able to tie the set for an eighth time at 22-all before Barton forced a decisive game five with the final three points, including a set-finishing double block by Grandy and junior Jordan Lee.
The two teams kept trading points to start the final act before a kill by Sherman gave Barton a slim 8-7 lead as the two squads switched ends of the court. An ensuing service error deadlocked the set for a seventh and final time at 8-8 before the Lady Bulldogs pulled away with points on seven of the next eight plays. Kills by Sherman and Wood put Barton ahead for good at 10-8 before three aces in a row by Grandy pushed BC's lead to five. Grandy sailed her attempt at a fourth unanswered ace long before Wood closed out play with her 17th and 18th kills.
Sherman and Cochran followed Wood with 15 and 11 kills, respectively. Sherman completed a double-double with 14 digs. Fleury tied Grandy for match-best dig honors with 18 of her own lifts.
North Greenville hit .200 compared to .177 by the Lady Bulldogs but Grandy served up a career-high eight aces to account for half of the Bulldogs season-high 16 aces.
Barton will be starting a five-match road swing at Elizabeth City State University on Monday at 7 p.m.
