Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Barton College got solid offensive contributions from senior Melissa Cochran, sophomore Kaitlyn Micol and senior Catherine Barber but the Lady Bulldogs were unable to slow down King University's attack in a 3-0 Conference Carolinas women's volleyball loss in the KU Student Center Friday evening.
The Tornado completed the 25-18, 25-13 and 25-15 sweep by hitting .333 for the match. The defending Conference Carolinas regular season co-champions are now hitting .239 on the season after improving to 12-9 overall and 6-4 in the league.
Freshman setter Riley Bane set up the Lady Bulldogs balanced offense with 21 assists. Cochran led the way with eight kills and only two errors on 19 swings for a .316 hitting percentage. Micol and Barber followed with seven and six spikes, respectively.
Senior libero Amanda Grandy paced BC's defensive efforts with 14 digs.
Cochran was part of two of the Lady Bulldogs three blocks.
Senior Summer Kremer – an All-Region honoree last year and two time All-Conference selection – led the Tornado with 13 kills. Sophomore Sarah Collins knocked down eight kills with a .429 hitting percentage while Lauren Willoughby (.400), Jordan Baty (.364) and Grace Underwood (.273) all chipped in a productive five kills apiece.
Junior setter Olivia Underwood scripted King's offense with 31 assists while senior libero Payton Tipton made a match-high 16 digs.
Barton kept the first set the closest with 10 ties before the Tornado stormed away with a closing 10-3 run.
Kremer had her best set of the match in the second with five kills without an error while the Lady Bulldogs committed 10 hitting errors as King coasted to the 12-point win.
The Tornado then hit a whopping .424 with 18 of their 25 points coming on kills to close out the short match in the third.
Barton slipped to 7-12 in all contests and 5-4 in league skirmishes and will next play at Conference Carolinas North Division frontrunner Lees-McRae College on Saturday at 2 p.m.
