by Benny Benton
WILSON, N.C. – After nine straight matches on the road, the Barton College men's volleyball team finally returns to the Dog House this weekend for Conference Carolinas matches against King University and Lees-McRae College.
Barton sports information will provide live video for both matches.
Barton men's volleyball fans can follow the Bulldogs throughout the season on www.BartonBulldogs.com and via social media including Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
Barton College Men's Volleyball
The Bulldogs (9-14, 7-6) have lost their last three matches since a 3-2 victory over nationally-ranked NAIA power Concordia-Irvine. However, all three of those setbacks came against NCAA Division I opponents.
In conference play, Barton has a four-match winning streak, beginning with a 3-1 victory over Limestone College in its last home contest back on February 21. The Bulldogs then went on the road and defeated Emmanuel College, North Greenville University and Belmont Abbey College before taking a break from the league battles. Barton currently rests in fifth place in the conference standings.
Junior transfer Pierre Tang-Taye saw his streak of consecutive matches with at least 10 kills reach 14 before ending in Barton's last match, a 3-0 setback at Saint Francis (Pa.) University. The Reunion Island, France, resident is averaging 3.93 kills per set for the year, which ranks ninth in NCAA Division I-II. He also ranks 11th nationally in points at 4.45.
Senior middle blocker Tanner Medina leads Conference Carolinas and ranks No. 24 nationally in blocks per set at 1.09, and senior libero Mike McMahon ranks second in both the conference and the country in digs per set at 3.01. Sophomore setter Federico Pagliara stands third in the league and 12th in the nation in assists at 10.05 per frame.
Barton lost a heartbreaking 3-2 decision at King in Bristol, Tenn., on February 6. The Bulldogs had a three-point lead with three more points needed for victory, but the Tornado rolled off the last six points to claim the 3-2 win. King had blocks on four of the last five points and recorded 17 in the match, twice as many as BC.
The Bulldogs bounced back a day later to post a 3-1 win at Lees-McRae in Banner Elk, N.C. Tang-Taye, who had produced what was then a career-high 21 kills against the Tornado, collected 22 in the win over the Bobcats. (His career-high is now 26). McMahon provided 17 digs against LMC and Medina claimed eight blocks.
King University Men's Volleyball
The Tornado (11-7, 7-3) have won three straight and four of its last five, the only setback coming against defending league champion Erskine in five sets.
King is paced by junior Eddie Moushikhian, who ranks fifth in the league and 14th in the country in kills per set at 3.81. He also paces the squad in digs, averaging 1.77 per contest. Redshirt sophomore Nick Serowski is adding 2.19 kills and 1.66 digs per set, and ranks 14th nationally in service aces per frame at 0.48.
As a team, the Tornado ranks second in the country in digs at 10.1, led by sophomore Chandler Wellman's average of 2.32 per set. King also ranks 14th nationally in aces at 1.45 per frame.
Moushikhian had a team-high 19 kills in King's win earlier this year over the Bulldogs, and Stephen Brown added 15 kills and three aces.
Lees-McRae College Men's Volleyball
The Bobcats (2-11, 1-8) ended a nine-match losing skid and earned their first league win of the year against first-year program North Greenville University on March 4 before falling to McKendree University 3-0 in their most recent contest nearly two weeks ago.
Lees-McRae currently sports just an eight-man roster. However, one of the eight is the national leader in kills and points per set, Brady Markle. The 6-5 junior is averaging a gaudy 5.12 kills – nearly half a point more than his nearest competitor – and 5.71 points. He also ranks fourth in the league in aces at .38 per frame.
In the earlier loss to BC, Markle delivered a match-high 25 kills.
