Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Senior Sammy Jo Hinnant totaled a season-high nine kills for host Barton College in a 3-1 (25-18, 26-24, 23-25, 25-23) Conference Carolinas women's volleyball loss to Coker College on Saturday afternoon in Wilson Gymnasium.
The Cobras served up 11 aces and sophomore Samantha Celek orchestrated the visitor's offense that hit .261 with a season-high 51 assists. Coker improved to 3-11 overall and 3-1 in the league.
The Lady Bulldogs hit well at .209 but cost themselves in other areas with 11 reception errors, five ball handling errors and four blocking errors.
Barton sophomore Melissa Cochran and Coker junior Taylor Willis shared match-high honors with 17 kills apiece. Cochran fired at .625 precision and Willis at a .419 clip.
Lady Bulldogs' senior Kati Wood added 15 kills without an error for a .441 hitting percentage. Wood completed her fifth double-double of the season with 11 digs.
A pair of kills by Cochran gave BC an early 6-2 lead in the first and continued to lead 10-7 after an ace by sophomore Corinna Morton. Coker rallied and took the lead for good with the next five points on Celek's service rotation. The Lady Bulldogs pulled to within one late at 19-18 but the Cobras closed out the opening set with the final six points during Celek's turn serving again.
Barton altered its lineup in the second set and Hinnant helped fire up the home crowd with five of her nine kills in the frame. The Bulldogs served for double set point at 24-22 but two consecutive Barton errors tied the set up for 12th time at 24-all before a block by Willis and a kill by April Griggs completed a comeback win by the Cobras.
An accurate spike by Wood gave BC a 17-12 lead in the third before Coker once again rallied. An ace by Brittany Bass finished off a 8-2 run to provide the Cobras a late 20-19 edge but Barton forced a fourth set by closing out the period by winning seven of the next 10 points. Cochran capped the act with two consecutive kills.
Barton looked poised to take Coker the distance by doubling up the score early, 10-5, in the fourth. The Bulldogs remained in front 18-15 before the Cobras slithered ahead with the next five points finished off with a pair of aces by Kelley Stine. Barton kept fighting and tied the score at 20, 21, 22 and 23 before Willis closed out play on match point with her 17th kill.
BC notched a season-high 12 block assists with Cochran helping reject five Coker swings. Sophomore Amanda Grandy logged 41 assists and 12 digs for the Bulldogs while Morton made a team-best 20 digs.
Barton will try and avenge a five-set, season-opening loss at Chowan University when the Lady Bulldogs entertain the Hawks on Wednesday at 7 p.m. in the Dog House.
