Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Junior Zach McCalla ripped 20 kills in leading the Barton College men's volleyball team to a 3-1 (25-23, 19-25, 25-21, 25-21) non-conference victory over visiting Coker College on Saturday afternoon in the Dog House.
The Bulldogs moved to 6-9 overall and 3-3 at home. The Cobras, who lost to Quincy University in straight sets in the morning, dipped to 4-11 after surrendering their sixth and seventh straight losses.
Barton had its second-highest hitting percentage of the season at .256 in disposing of its former Conference Carolinas rivals. McCalla launched his 20 kills on 41 swings and finished with a .244 hitting percentage. Freshmen Jonathan Novoa-Miralles (.219) and Chad Stanback Jr. (.156) both complimented McCalla with double-digit kill performances of 13 and 11 spikes, respectively.
Freshman setter Federico Pagliara orchestrated the offense with 45 assists. Junior libero, who leads NCAA Division I-II in digs per set, made 16 digs. Pagliara followed with seven scoops.
Miralles was part of six of the Bulldogs 8.5 blocks. Junior Ladislav Lelkes totaled five block assists.
The Royal Blue and White won the first set, which proved to be the closest of the match, by scoring the final four points. The frame featured eight lead changes and 15 ties. Coker led 23-21 on a Jared Geizer kill before Barton made its comeback thanks to four consecutive hitting errors by the Cobras. Lelkes had two block assists over the final four points to help BC take the early 1-nil edge.
Luke Hansen notched seven of his team-high 17 kills in the second set in helping the visitors tie the match. With the score tied at 10 apiece, Coker pulled away with a 10-5 run before an Artur Cabral kill on set-point sealed the six-point win.
McCalla stepped up with 13 of his 20 kills in the final two sets to help Barton to its first program win over Coker. McCalla, who had six spikes in the third and seven more in the fourth, led a Bulldogs attack that hit .371 over the final two periods.
BC was clinging to a 19-18 edge in the third before rattling off three consecutive points – kills by McCalla and Pagliara around an ace by Lelkes – to start a closing 6-3 run. McCalla and Stanback put the Bulldogs back ahead, 2-1, by closing the set with consecutive kills.
The Bulldogs raced out of a 5-0 lead in the fourth and never trailed. Coker stayed within three or four points of Barton through most of the frame and eventually got as close at two twice at 22-20 and 23-21. However, back-to-back points by Miralles – a kill followed by a solo block – ended play in favor of the hosts.
Cabral had 11 kills for the Cobras and setter Ricardo Ferrer matched Pagliara with 45 assist. Ferrer made a match-high 18 digs to complete a double-double.
The Bulldogs are 4-2 in their last six matches.
Barton next travels to Indiana for a spring break trip to play Ball State University and IPFW on Friday-Saturday, Feb. 28-Mar. 1.
