Box Score by Cory Guinn
WILSON, N.C. – Five players had at least eight kills and double-digit kills, as the Barton women's volleyball team advanced to the championship game of the Conference Carolinas Tournament with a 3-2 (25-23, 22-25, 16-25, 25-18, 15-9) victory over King University on Saturday night.
The Lady Bulldogs struggled for much of the match but came through when it mattered most, hitting .346 as a team in the deciding fifth set of play. The BC defense totaled 16 blocks and 101 digs en route to forcing the Tornado to hit just .106 in the contest.
Senior Mariana Kedzia led Barton with 13 kills and 15 kills, while sophomore Hayley Marshburn finished with 12 kills and 15 digs of her own. Junior Courtney Wiseman had 12 kills in the match to go along with seven total blocks as sophomore Allie Cullens chipped in eight total blocks and nine kills.
Sophomore setter Angelica Acevedo had a match-high 46 assists to go with 14 digs, while libero Riley Bane had a team-high 32 digs. Senior Laura Peed totaled 16 digs on defense and three service aces.
Barton twice trailed by six points in the first set but was able to overcome the deficit and rally for a three-point victory to take the first set. However, King controlled the second and third sets of play to take a 2-1 lead in the match.
The two sides played to eight total ties in the early going of the fourth set until Barton used a 6-0 run to build a 15-9 lead. Back-to-back errors by the Tornado sealed the set for Barton and tied the score at 2-2 overall.
In the fifth and final set, the Lady Bulldogs never trailed, ending the match on a Wiseman kill to secure their place in the championship match.
Barton, the No. 1 seed from the North Division, will host Erskine College, the No. 1 seed from the South Division, tomorrow at 3 p.m. in Wilson. To follow the action from the Conference Carolinas Tournament, visit the Tournament Central page on www.bartonbulldogs.com
