Box Score by Kevin Buczek
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla.-Junior libero Corinna Morton made 18 digs and freshman setter Amber Kelly logged her first collegiate double-double for Barton College in a 3-0 (25-16, 25-22, 25-22) loss to Lynn University on Saturday morning in the seventh annual Shark Classic at Nova Southeastern University.
The Fighting Knights, who have qualified for the NCAA Tournament in four of the last six seasons, improved to 2-1 in the straight-set sweep. The Lady Bulldogs had their best performance in the season-opening event yet but fell to 0-3.
Junior middle blocker Melissa Cochran led all players with 12 kills and three solo blocks. Cochran has led the Lady Bulldogs in points in each of the programs first three matches.
Kelly notched her first double-double with 29 assists and 11 digs. Morton scooped up a team-high 18 digs. Freshman right-side Alex Ward chipped in 13 digs and four kills and junior outside hitter Catherine Barber totaled five spikes.
Lynn hit a match-best .162 in the first to jump in front with the most lopsided win of the match by nine. A junior Ginny Howard kill had Barton leading 11-10 but the Fighting Knights won the next four points to regain momentum. The spurt started a 13-2 run that gave Lynn its largest lead of the match at 23-13.
A service ace by Barber to cap a 6-0 run by the Lady Bulldogs gave Barton another 11-10 lead in the middle game. It once again marked the last lead for the Royal Blue and White. Barton did tie the set for an eighth and final time at 18-18 on a Cochran kill and pulled with one late, 23-22, but the Fighting Knights held on to take command.
Barton attempted to force a fourth set with a late 20-18 advantage but Lynn closed out the match on a 7-2 rally that featured a match-ending kill by Angie Caple.
The Fighting Knights hit .136 and received a team-best nine kills from Katie Knight. Lynn served up nine aces including three by Mandy McIntosh.
BC finished with a .073 hitting percentage.
Barton dropped all three of its matches against Sunshine State Conference members in a 24-hour span but will finally face an opponent outside the difficult South Region in its final match of the Shark Classic. The Lady Bulldogs will play the University of Sioux Falls on Saturday at 2 p.m.
