Box Score
by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Sophomore middle blocker Ladislav Lelkes had six kills on seven swings in sets three and four to help the Barton College men's volleyball team rally from a 2-nil deficit and force a decisive fifth set against Lees-McRae College on Friday night in the Dog House.
The Bobcats ended the unlikely comeback with a strong final frame, winning by a final score of 27-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-27, 15-7. Lees-McRae (2-1 Overall; 2-1 Conf.) has gone the distance in all three of its matches to start the season. Barton (0-3, 0-3) arguable played its best match in the programs first two seasons with strong performances throughout the lineup.
Lelkes added three solo blocks and four block assists to his season-high six kills. Lelkes and sophomore Jordan Robison both had six spikes on 11 total attacks with one error apiece for hitting percentages of .455. Robison set up the Bulldogs offense with a career-high 33 assists.
Sophomore hitter Zack McCalla had a match-high 13 kills for the Royal Blue and White.
Sophomore Javier Jimenez ripped eight of his 10 kills in the first set to help Lees-McRae take the early lead. Barton led at the midway point, 15-11, but a 5-1 run by the Bobcats knotted the score at 16-all. BC led as late as 19-18 but the visitors answered and served for set point at both 24-23 and 25-24 before finally sealing the opening win on a kill by junior Jose Ribas. Barton staved off the first two set points with kills by McCalla and freshman Cameron Hudson.
After a close first set, Lees-McRae head coach James Goodridge switched out majority of his lineup and the backups responded with a three-point win in the second set. Barton led in the early stages but an 8-3 rally by the Bobcats put the visitors on top 15-11. LMC stayed in front to take the commanding 2-0 set advantage.
Barton looked poised to win the third set building a late 22-17 lead that was highlighted by a kill by junior Tanner Medina that forced the Bobcats to call a timeout. Lees-McRae responded out of the huddle with the next five points to level the score at 22-up but the Bulldogs stayed focused and won the next three points to extend the match. A kill by sophomore T.J. Daley put Barton ahead and Lelkes ended the period with a big smash, his four kill of the set.
The fourth set saw the most lead changes of the match in four. Lees-McRae was on the verge of closing out the match with a 25-24 lead but a service error evened the score for an eighth time. The fourth was then culminated by a kill off the arm of sophomore Chandler Thomas and a hitting error by the Bobcats.
Thomas recorded seven total kills and shared team-high nine digs honors with sophomore Nick Scalia.
The shortened fifth set saw the return of four Conference Carolinas postseason award winners in Ribas, Joshua Jones, John Lucas and Matt Harpenau into the Bobcats starting rotations for the first time since the first set. The veterans responded with the first four points and never looked back. Lees-McRae led 8-3 when the squad's switched sides and then rolled to the decisive eight-point win.
The visitors fired with 41.7% accuracy in the fifth set and hit .218 for the match. Barton posted a .171 hitting percentage.
Jimenez and Brady Markle led the Bobcats with 10 kills apiece. Drew Blecher and Randy Ramirez shared the setting duties and tallied 26 and 19 assists, respectively. Efrain Negron had a match-high 17 digs.
Barton turns around and hosts its first Division I opponent in program history when the Cardinals of Ball State University step into the Dog House for a Noon showdown Saturday.
