Box Score 1 |
Box Score 2 by Kevin Buczek
RALEIGH, N.C.-Freshman Kaitlyn Micol and junior Melissa Cochran ripped 17 and 12 kills, respectively, twice to lead the Barton College women's volleyball team to a pair of 3-1 non-conference victories over Chowan University and host Saint Augustine's University on Friday evening at Emery Gymnasium.
Barton (11-8 overall) will try and extend its current win streak to six consecutive matches when the Lady Bulldogs visit Conference Carolinas archrival Mount Olive College on Tuesday at 7 p.m. Barton's five-match win streak is the programs longest since the Lady Bulldogs won seven consecutive contests in 2004.
Barton 3, Chowan 1
Micol helped Barton secure the 25-16, 20-25, 25-18, 25-15 win against the Hawks with a match-high 17 kills. Cochran added 12 spikes and junior Jillian Sherman and sophomore Brittany Edwards both posted six kills.
Junior Corinna Morton and freshman Alex Ward had 17 and 11 digs, respectively, while the duo of junior Amanda Grandy and freshman Amber Kelly each had eight digs. Kelly added team-high totals of 34 assists and eight digs.
The Hawks entered the week ranked second in NCAA Division II in aces per set but were only able to serve up two aces against Barton to stumbling to 13-5 overall. Chowan did defeated Saint Aug's in straight sets just before playing the Lady Bulldogs on Friday
Barton never trailed in the first set jumping out to an early 7-1 advantage that included aces by Ward and Grandy. The Bulldogs maintained a comfortable leading hitting .259 to win by 10. Micol led the way with five kills on eight swings.
Chowan answered with a strong second set. Cochran tied the score up at 15 apiece with a kill but the Hawks soared ahead winning the next four points before holding on by five. Suraya Chase had five of her team-high 12 kills for CU.
The Lady Bulldogs had their best offensive set in the third with 13 kills and a .308 hitting percentage to pull back in front. The Hawks won the first point but Barton quickly raced ahead before a Sherman spike ended the seven-point victory.
BC kept the momentum jumping out to a 13-3 cushion in the final frame before maintaining the 10-point lead at the end finished off by another Sherman smash. Cochran and Micol each had four kills; Kelly added two aces; and Morton made nine of her 17 passes in the final set.
Barton 3, Saint Augustine's 1
The Lady Bulldogs hit .242 and made nine blocks in holding off the host Falcons by a score of 25-17, 25-22, 20-25, 25-14. Micol and Cochran produced 17 and 12 kills, correspondingly, for a second time Friday to pace Barton's attack. Edwards followed with a season-high eight spikes and Sherman added six.
Kelly orchestrated the Royal Blue and White offense with 38 assists while Morton (14 digs), Ward (10) and Grandy (10) all reached double-figure digs on the defensive end. Edwards tacked on five blocks and Cochran factored in four blocks.
Barton only led by two, 13-11, midway through the first set before using a 9-3 surge to pull away. The run included kills by Micol and Edwards before a Micol ace put the Bulldogs up by eight at 22-14. Ward, who ranks highly in aces per set, finished off the eight-point win with an ace.
The second set had seven ties early before a kill by Micol and a Falcon error put the Bulldogs in front for good at 13-11. Barton continued on a 6-1 run before holding off a resilient SAU squad by three. Cochran, who reached the 10-kill plateau for a staggering 13th straight match, put the Lady Bulldogs up two games with a spike on set-point.
Barton cooled off a bit in the third set and the Falcons took advantage to win the period by five. The Lady Bulldogs led 11-10 before Saint Aug's pushed ahead with an 8-2 rally. The hosts maintained the five-point lead to the end of the set to extend the match.
The refocused Lady Bulldogs squad raced out to a 7-1 lead in the fourth and coasted to the 11-point triumph to secure a fifth consecutive win. Micol tallied seven kills in the fourth set including her 17th spike of the contest on match-point.
Saint Augustine's (7-10 overall) received 13 kills from Victoria Davis and 11 spikes by Skyla Isidore.
