Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Sophomore hitter Chandler Thomas blasted a career-high 11 kills for the Barton College men's volleyball team in a tight 3-1 (25-20, 25-14, 22-25, 28-26) Conference Carolinas loss to Erskine College on Friday night in the Dog House.
The Flying Fleet needed four tries at match point in the fourth set before finally ending the Bulldogs comeback. Barton nearly tied the final set for an 18th time on a swing by Thomas that landed very close to the right corner before hitting the line judge. After a delay to clarify the close call, the up referee called the shot out to end the match in the visitors favor.
Erskine (2-0 Overall, 1-0 Conf.) remained undefeated in its inaugural season while picking up the programs first ever road and league win. Barton (0-2, 0-2) dropped its second straight conference match to begin its second season.
Freshman Mike Michelau led the Fleet with a match-high 20 kills. Classmate Mike Kawa followed with 11 spikes. Erskine hit .252 for the match with freshman Omar Melendez and sophomore Neal Stanley adding eight and seven kills, respectively. Freshman setter Michael Schneck added a double-double of 38 assists and 14 digs.
The score was tied seven times early in the first set before a kill by Michelau and an ace by Schneck put the Flying Fleet ahead for good at 13-11. Barton continued to only trail by two at 16-14 before a 5-2 rush finished off with an ace by Kawa extended Erskine's lead to 21-16. The Fleet maintained the five point lead at the end hitting .478 for the set.
A 6-1 explosion to start the second set helped Erskine to its most lopsided win. The Bulldogs closed the gap to 9-7 but the Fleet slowly extended the lead before using two late 4-0 runs to win by 11.
Barton kept fighting for the home crowd and a kill by Thomas with the third-set score knotted at 14-14 started a 6-2 surge that put the hosts in front 20-16. The Bulldogs held on and a block by freshman Chandler Thomas and sophomore Ladislav Lelkes on set point extended the match.
Erskine led by three on three occasions in the fourth set including as late as 14-11 but Barton scored the next four points to position itself in contention for the rest of the set. A kill by freshman Cameron Hudson had the Bulldogs leading 23-22 but the Fleet won the next two points to earn the first of what would be four match-points. A pair of Erskine services errors staved off the first two tries before a block by Thomas tied the score for a 17th and final time at 26-all. Barton's own service error provided the Fleet with a fourth match point at 27-26. Erskine finally came up with last point needed when Thomas' attack was called out on the ensuing play.
Thomas recorded his career-high 11 kills on 22 attempts. The 6-foot-3 product of Virginia Beach, Va., hit .318 and made 2.0 blocks for a team-best 13 points while adding seven digs.
Hudson continued his strong play in his first week of collegiate competition posting a team-high nine digs and eight kills. Sophomore Jordan Robison contributed 29 assists, seven digs, three kills and 2.5 blocks. Lelkes followed with four spikes and three blocks assists.
Twenty-one service errors by Erskine kept Barton in several of the sets but the Flying Fleet did finish with seven aces compared to just two by BC.
The Bulldogs fired at a .189 clip.
Barton next hosts Lees-McRae College in a Conference Carolinas tilt on Friday, Jan. 25 at 7 p.m.
