Box Score by Cory Guinn
SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Barton women's volleyball team continued its tear through Conference Carolinas play with a 3-0 (25-17, 25-10, 25-17) victory over league foe Converse College on Saturday afternoon.
The Lady Bulldogs improved their overall record to 9-7, while remaining in a tie for second place in the league standings with a 6-1 record. The win was Barton's fourth in a row and ninth in its last 10 matches.
Barton opened the match on a 5-0 run and led 10-1 early on in the opening set of play. Converse closed the gap to 18-13 with three unanswered points, but the BC lead was too much to overcome as junior Courtney Wiseman ended the set with a kill.
The Royal Blue and White cruised to a win in the second set of play, using a 15-0 run midway through to build a 21-3 advantage. The Valkyries looked for a comeback late but a service error ended their chances.
Converse and Barton played much closer in the third set, tying the score eight separate times and being knotted at 10-all following a BC attack error. However, seven unanswered points from the Lady Bulldogs moved the lead to a 20-12 edge as a Converse error ended the set and the match with Barton ahead.
The Lady Bulldogs hit .241 as a team, including a .562 hitting mark in the second set, while holding the Valkyries to a .060 hitting percentage and forcing 18 errors. Barton was also in top form from the service line, serving up 15 aces, the team's highest total of the season.
Sophomore Hayley Marshburn led the team with eight kills, while fellow sophomore Allie Cullens finished with six kills and a .455 hitting percentage. Senior Kaitlyn Micol followed with a .556 hitting mark of her own to go with five kills.
Redshirt-sophomore Riley Bane led all players with 17 digs, while senior Mariana Kedzia had 11 digs of her own. Sophomore setter Angelica Acevedo finished with 25 assists and a career-high eight service aces.
Barton returns home for the first time in five matches when its hosts Belmont Abbey College on Friday, Oct. 7 at 7 p.m. in Wilson Gym.
