Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Junior defensive specialist Amanda Grandy's season-high sixth service ace on match point ended a hard-fought 3-1 (24-26, 25-18, 25-23, 25-18) Conference Carolinas women's volleyball victory for host Barton College over Erskine College on Friday night in the Dog House during Barton College's Family Weekend.
The Lady Bulldogs hit a season-best .169 to improve to 2-5 overall and begin league play at 1-0. The Flying Fleet, who were picked third in the preseason coaches' poll, slipped to 1-5 and 0-1. Barton was picked eighth in the conference at the beginning of the season.
Barton received solid contributions throughout the lineup in defeating Erskine for the first time since the Flying Fleet added women's volleyball in 2009. The Lady Bulldogs were 0-7 against Erskine coming into Friday's early-season showdown.
Junior middle blocker Melissa Cochran smacked a season-high 17 kills and hit a staggering .325. Cochran also posted two solo blocks and five block assists for 21.5 total points.
A trio of freshmen stepped up for the Lady Bulldogs with outside hitter Kaitlyn Micol tallying her first collegiate double-double of 10 kills and 12 digs. Setter Amber Kelly added her second double-double (32 assists and 11 digs) while right-side hitter Alex Ward lifted up a new-high 20 digs.
Despite the 21 total service aces, the match featured numerous long rallies with Barton making 76 digs and Erskine totaling 71. Junior libero Corinna Morton was a fourth Barton player with double-figure digs with 18.
Grandy served up four of her six aces in the clinching four set including three consecutive launches in a 5-0 run to start the period. The Lady Bulldogs were able to maintain the lead throughout the fourth but Erskine did pull within one, 11-10, on an A.J. Campbell kill. However, three straight aces by Kelly finished off a 5-1 Barton run that put the hosts back up by five at 16-11. Barton held at least a three-point cushion the rest of the way until Grandy ended the match with her final ace.
It was Erskine that took the early lead winning a dramatic first set that had 11 ties and five lead changes. A senior Jordan Lee kill tied the score for a final time at 24-24 but spikes by Kelly Sullivan and Caitlin Bullock gave the visitors the extend-set win. Bullock had eight of her 14 kills and Sullivan six of her 11 spikes in the first frame.
Barton won the first four points of the second and never trailed to tie the match at 1-1. The Bulldogs led by as many as nine points before knotting the score with the seven-point win.
The Flying Fleet tried to regain the lead building a 23-18 advantage late in the third but Barton ended the frame on a 7-0 run on Ward's service rotation to rally and take the momentum into the fourth set. The large Barton crowd cheered the comeback that comprised of Ward's third ace and six mistakes by Erskine including pair of blocks by Cochran with blocking help of Kelly and junior Jillian Sherman.
The Lady Bulldogs hit a match-best .208 in the fourth to keep Erskine from rallying.
Barton will try and remain undefeated in the league when the Lady Bulldogs host North Greenville University on Saturday to wrap-up Family Weekend. First serve in Wilson Gym is scheduled for 2 p.m.
