Box Score by Benny Benton
BELMONT, N.C. – Sophomore transfer Shae Schmidt, playing in just her third match for the Lady Bulldogs, delivered a team-high nine kills to lead Barton College against Belmont Abbey College Friday night.
Senior libero Amanda Grandy collected a match-high 22 digs, her second outing of 20 or more this season, but Barton (3-9, 1-2) dropped a straight-set decision to the Crusaders, 25-21, 25-17, 25-22.
Reigning Conference Carolinas Player of the Year Hannah Schellenberg drilled 17 kills, and Belmont Abbey hammered home 10 service aces in improving to 2-3 in the league and 3-11 overall.
Neither team hit particularly well, as the Crusaders posted a .143 attack percentage and Barton recorded a mere .054 mark, its second-lowest total of the year and sixth time below .100 this season.
Belmont Abbey, the two-time defending league champions, jumped out to a quick 9-4 lead in set one. Barton took advantage of three attack errors by Schellenberg in a four-point stretch to rally within one at 15-14, but BAC's Kennedy Haupt produced aces on two of the next three points to spark a four-point run for the Crusaders.
The Lady Bulldogs closed within two points on two occasions, the latter one at 22-20 on a Kaitlyn Micol kill, but two errors by BC put Belmont Abbey on set point, and Schellenberg finished it off with a kill.
The Crusaders ran out to a 9-5 lead in set two, but five miscues by Belmont Abbey made up almost all of a six-point run that put Barton in front 11-9. Belmont Abbey used a kill to gain a side out, and Coreen Norword delivered consecutive aces to move BAC back in front to stay.
Barton enjoyed its only significant lead of the match early in set three. Trailing 7-6, the Lady Bulldogs rolled off five straight points to take an 11-7 advantage and force the Crusaders into a timeout. Two of the points came on kills by senior Melissa Cochran, who was limited to single-digit kills (7) for the second straight outing.
Following the timeout, Schellenberg produced a kill to temporarily regain possession for Belmont Abbey, but Courtney Wiseman earned the ball right back for Barton with a kill, starting another four-point run for BC that gave the Lady Bulldogs their biggest lead of the night at 15-8 on a kill by Schmidt.
However, a kill by Belmont's Haupt was followed by three straight Barton attack errors and a Gabby Martinez ace, forcing Barton to take a timeout now leading by just two at 15-13. After one more kill for BAC closed the gap to 15-14, Schmidt collected consecutive kills to push the Barton lead back to three at 17-14, but the Crusaders rolled off the next eight points in a row to take control. The run included a Caitlin Hankins kill, a Haupt ace and three straight Schellenberg kills. Barton also contributed with three attack errors.
Now trailing by five, Barton closed within two at 24-22 on a bad set by Belmont Abbey, but a Norwood kill finished off the match for the Crusaders.
Haupt had a solid all-around night for BAC with five kills, four aces and nine digs. Schellenberg also had 10 digs to go with her 17 kills and Julie Newell added 14 digs.
Freshman setter Riley Bane narrowly missed a double-double for the Lady Bulldogs, producing 31 assists and nine digs.
Barton returns to action on Saturday at 2 p.m. in Misenheimer, N.C., against Pfeiffer University.
