Box Score by Kevin Buczek
WILSON, N.C.-Freshman Chad Stanback Jr. tallied a match-high 13 kills for host Barton College in a 3-0 loss to Pfeiffer University in the regular season finale for both programs on Saturday evening in Wilson Gymnasium.
Barton honored its lone senior in middle blocker Tyler Malpass before the match. Malpass the provided the Bulldogs with two kills, two blocks, one ace and one dig in his final home game.
Pfeiffer (13-11 overall, 10-4 conf.) secured the second seed in the 2014 Conference Carolinas Tournament and will get a bye in the quarterfinals before hosting a semifinals match on Saturday, April 12. Barton (11-16, 7-7) was unable to win a sixth straight league tilt to slip to the fifth seed in the league tourney. The Bulldogs will make their first postseason appearance at fourth-seeded Limestone College on Wednesday, April 9 at 7 p.m.
The Falcons hit .197 and held Barton under .200 for the first time in six matches at .075.
Stanback and junior Ladislav Lelkes (4 kills) each finished with a .375 hitting percentage but the other four Bulldog starters were unable to hit in the positive. Junior Zach McCalla added six kills but had 10 errors.
Junior libero Michael McMahon entered the final week of the regular season leading NCAA Division I-II in blocks per set and added a match-high eight scoops against the Falcons. Freshman setter added 23 assists and five digs. Lelkes had a team-high three block assists.
Wyatt Hamilton led the Falcons with 10 kills. Harrison Lutz notched team-best marks of 27 assists and five digs. Other highlights for Pfeiffer were three aces by Michael Brewer and six blocks by Fabio Diniz.
Barton led the first set 16-14 before the visitors closed out the frame on a 16-4 run. Pfeiffer, the league's leading hitting team, attached at a .250 clip in the second to take the middle period by six. The Falcons then closed out a close third set with the score tied for a 13th time at 23-23 by winning the final two points on a Michael Brewer kill and a BC hitting error.
