Box Score by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – The Barton women's volleyball team avenged a loss earlier in the season and claimed possession of first place in the Conference Carolinas standings with a 3-0 (25-20, 25-19. 25-19) victory over Belmont Abbey College on Friday night in Wilson Gymnasium.
The Lady Bulldogs, who lost in five sets to the Crusaders on Sept. 23, moved their overall record to 10-7 while the team's 7-1 mark in league play places them on top of the standings. Belmont Abbey fell to 9-9 overall and 7-2 in conference play with the loss.
Barton's three-set win began with a five-point victory in the first frame despite Belmont Abbey getting out to an early 7-3 lead. The two sides fought through three ties on the scoreboard before BC closed the set on a 9-4 run.
The Crusaders once again got ahead early in the second set, but the Royal Blue and White continued to battle. A kill from senior Kaitlyn Micol gave Barton a lead at 8-7 and the team did not look back. A Belmont Abbey ball handling error follow by back-to-back kills from senior Mariana Kedzia and junior Courtney Wiseman put BC up by four midway through the set. Consecutive attack errors by BAC gave Barton the set victory and a 2-0 lead in the match.
The Lady Bulldogs carried momentum over into the third and final set of play, building an advantage of 18-9 after another Micol kill. Belmont Abbey battled back to get within five points of the Barton lead before a 23-touch rally ended with a kill from sophomore Allie Cullen and put Barton on top 23-16. Sophomore Hayley Marshburn ended the match with a kill of her own to seal the win.
Marshburn led all players with 15 kills, while Kedzia followed with 10 kills of her own and 10 digs for her seventh double-double of the year.
Micol chipped in five kills and matched a career-high with seven total blocks at the net. Cullens finished with five blocks and Wiseman contributed four blocks as Barton totaled 11 in the match. Sophomore Angelica Acevedo registered 32 assists and 10 digs, while redshirt-sophomore Riley Bane had 14 digs from her libero position. Senior Laura Peed was the fourth Lady Bulldog in double digits with 10 digs.
Barton looks to extend its current five-game winning streak when it hosts Pfeiffer University tomorrow at 2 p.m. in Wilson.
