Box Score by Doug Page
WILSON, N.C. – Sophomore Kaytlin Elkins recorded 20 kills as the Barton College women's volleyball team held off King University for a 3-1 (25-23, 25-21, 23-25, 25-22) victory on Saturday in Conference Carolinas action inside Wilson Gymnasium.
Barton (7-11, 4-0) dropped its first set in league play this season but rallied with a strong performance in the fourth set to beat the Tornado and run its winning streak to four matches. King (9-7, 1-2) extended the match after recording 10 service aces on the day while adding 10 kills in the third set.
Elkins tallied a double-double of 20 kills and 10 digs for Barton while adding one ace. Senior Allie Cullens recorded 11 kills to go along with three solo blocks for Barton, while senior Haley Headley added 11 kills. Senior Angelica Acevedo delivered a match-high 43 assists to go along with 15 digs, while redshirt senior Riley Bane and sophomore Ashley Owen each tallied three aces.
Julie Ward recorded 10 kills and 14 digs to pace King, while Remi Thele added nine kills for the Tornado. Kayley Holtzclaw tallied eight kills and three solo blocks for King, while Abby Anderson notched 30 assists in the match. Sydney Pigage added four aces, four assists, and 10 digs for the Tornado.
Barton used a 4-0 run to erase a 4-3 deficit in the opening set as Headley delivered a kill to make it 7-4. The Tornado answered with a 5-0 run as an attack error by the Bulldogs gave King a 9-7 advantage. A kill from Headley followed by an ace from Owen capped a 5-0 rally for the Bulldogs to give BC a 12-9 lead in the set.
The Tornado rallied late in the set to erase a 19-17 deficit and eventually take a 22-19 lead off the heels of a 5-0 run. King would take a 23-21 lead in the set before Barton responded with a 4-0 run to take the opening set. A kill by Cullens gave BC a 24-23 lead before an attack error by the Tornado secured the 25-23 win for the Bulldogs.
Leading 20-17 in the second set, the Bulldogs went on a 4-0 run to move within a point of taking a 2-0 lead in the match. King would hold the Bulldogs from taking the set by rallying to cut the deficit to 24-21 after a block from Rebekah Hill and Holtzclaw. Elkins would secure the 25-21 victory in the set for Barton with a kill to put BC up 2-0 in the match against the Tornado.
After trailing early in the third set, Barton rallied to knot the score 14-14 following an ace from Owen and consecutive attack errors by the Tornado. King would answer with a 4-0 run of its own to take an 18-14 lead in the set. The Tornado would need to hold off a late rally from the Bulldogs in the set as Barton used a 4-0 rally to trim the deficit to 23-22 following a kill by Elkins.
King took the third set by a score of 25-23 following a kill from Thele. The Tornado took the first set in conference action this season from the Bulldogs despite hitting .060 as a team.
The Bulldogs opened the fourth set with four consecutive points after kills from Junior Santana Mestas and Elkins. Barton would then increase its lead in the set to 8-1 on the heels of another 4-0 run. King would call a timeout and gain some momentum by trimming the deficit to 8-5. Later in the set, King pulled to within three points of BC at 23-20. Elkins would give the Bulldogs a 24-20 edge and a chance to secure a victory in the match.
A kill from Georgia Davis followed by an ace from Ward trimmed the gap to 24-22 as the Tornado looked to send the match to a fifth set. Barton denied any chance of a King comeback thanks to a kill from Elkins as the Bulldogs secure the 25-22 victory in the set.
The Bulldogs continue their three-game homestand on Sept. 29 as BC hosts King University at 2 p.m. inside Wilson Gym.
