Barton Volleyball rally falls short in fifth set loss at Colby

Last season the Barton Community College volleyball team knocked off the front running Colby Community College team on the Trojans' home floor in the season finale.  Tuesday night on the same floor the Trojans would not succumb to the Cougars' upset bid winning taking this year's home finale 3-2.   Colby took a two set lead winning 25-21 and 26-24 before the Cougars took the third 25-18 and dominated the fourth 25-11 to set up an exciting fifth set where the Trojans scored the six of the last seven points to earn the 15-12 win.   The loss was the seventh in nine fifth set matches for the Cougars this season as Barton drops to 5-10 in the Jayhawk and 7-24 overall while Colby improves to 11-5 and 16-18.  Barton will wrap up the regular season on Thursday with a 6:30 p.m. first serve at conference champion Hutchinson Community College.

"Close but no cigar," said a disappointed Barton Head Coach Phil Shoemaker. "We battled very well tonight and it is disappointing that we didn't get the final result that we worked hard for."

Barton led early in the first before an 8-2 run opened up an 11-8 Trojan lead.  Colby expanded the lead out to five before four straight by the Cougars cut the deficit to 21-19.  The comeback was a little too late as Colby closed out the set 4-2 to win 25-21.

Jumping out to a 4-0 lead in the second, Barton stretched the lead out to 10-3 prompting a Colby timeout.   Coming out of the timeout Colby scored four straight but the Cougars responded with three of their own to maintain a 13-7 lead.   Barton would increase the lead out to 21-14 but seven straight points by the Trojans changed the momentum of the set being deadlocked at 21.  Following the second Barton timeout during the run, the teams traded points until Colby was able to rattle off two straight when it counted to come out on the victorious side of a 26-24 score.

In a back and forth start to the third set, Barton broke open the set with a 5-1 run including three straight to take a 19-13 lead. Colby was unable to draw within five the rest of the way as the Cougars went on to win 25-18. 

Scoring six of seven points, Barton built an 11-6 lead as the Cougars were clicking on all cylinders.  A Colby timeout did little to stop the momentum as Barton scored eleven of the next fourteen points to increase the lead out to 22-9.  The Cougars left little doubt in the set taking care of business to go on and win convincingly 25-11.

Colby regrouped from the two set collapse to take an 8-4 lead going into the fifth set changeover.  Trading the next points, Barton then went on a tear scoring four straight to tie it up at nine prompting a Colby timeout.  Coming out of the break, the Cougars seemed to be on the verge of running away with the victory taking the next two points but a questionable call at the net stopped the Cougars run and turn the tide to Colby were they added consecutive points to regain the lead at 12-11.   Following a Barton timeout the Cougars got the next point to tie it up but a service ace capped three straight by the Trojans to win 15-12 and take the match 3-2. 

"When you play close matches against good teams it will come down to just one or two critical plays errors or calls," said Shoemaker.  "Such was the case tonight. The challenge is to continue to improve and to win when it matters most, in the playoffs."

Lindsborg freshman Emily Deterding led a fifty-two kill attack with a career high eighteen with three blocks while sophomore Jessie Sewell put down eleven kills.   Casey Friesen recorded her eleventh double-double of the season leading the Cougars with thirty assists and sixteen digs.  Lakyn Rowden put up eight assists to go along with fourteen digs while fellow sophomores Mykela Riedl and Tahje Ochs each recorded fifteen digs.   Sophomore Jenna Reid led a nineteen block effort by the Cougars with five while freshman Kylie Jones contributed four.

"Emily (Deterding) had a big night offensively and Jenna (Reid), Jessie (Sewell), and Casey (Friesen) all contributed really well," Shoemaker said.  "Our overall defense was about as good as we have been all year."