The Barton Community College volleyball ball team found out the hard way the road to a Jayhawk Conference title still runs through Hutchinson Community College as the No. 17 ranked Blue Dragons dispatched the Cougars in straight sets Wednesday night at the Sports Arena 25-18, 25-17, and 25-15.
Barton got off to a good start with the match's first four points but things went quickly down the hill as the pre-season conference favorite ran off sixteen straight points in rolling to a commanding lead. According to Hutchinson Sports Information, the sixteen point run was the second longest in Blue Dragon history since the rally scoring ear began in 2001. The Cougars outscored the Blue Dragons 14-9 the rest of the set but was too little too late in falling by seven.
The Cougars again began a set on the positive side, leading the second 3-1 before Hutchinson took 13 of the next 16 points in building a 14-6 lead. A pair of three point stretches built the lead out to ten as Hutchinson eventually closed out the set winning by an eight point margin.
Barton kept Hutchinson from going on any big runs in the final third set, but with the Cougars limited in consecutive points of their own, the Blue Dragons nickel-and-dimed the lead to a late seven point margin before putting the match away with the final four points.
The loss drops Barton to 1-1 in conference play and 1-5 overall with Hutchinson's Jayhawk opener improves the Blue Dragons to 2-3 overall.
The Cougars next court action comes this weekend in the Barton Classic, with four matches on the slate in the seven team, thirteen match two days of action. Barton will open play on Friday at 1:00 p.m. versus Clarendon College before taking on Cloud County Community College a match later in the 5:00 p.m. contest. Two matches on Saturday will proceed Barton's with the Cougars playing the 2:00 p.m. slot against Casper College before winding up the Classic with a conference match against Pratt Community College slated for a 4:00 p.m. first serve.
Barton Classic:
Friday (Court 1 – Main Gym Floor):
1:00 p.m. – Barton vs Clarendon College
3:00 p.m. – Butler Community College vs Clarendon College
5:00 p.m. – Barton vs Cloud County Community College
Friday (Court 2 – Auxiliary Gym Floor):
1:00 p.m. – Pratt Community College vs Casper College
3:00 p.m. – Pratt Community College vs Cloud County Community College
5:00 p.m. – Butler Community College vs Casper College
Saturday (Court 1 – Main Gym Floor):
10:00 a.m. – Barton vs Cloud County Community College
12:00 p.m. – Pratt Community College vs Clarendon College
2:00 p.m. – Barton vs Casper College
4:00 p.m. – Barton vs Pratt Community College
Saturday (Court 2 – Auxiliary Gym Floor):
10:00 a.m. – Butler Community College vs Friends University JV
12:00 p.m. – Butler Community College vs Cloud County Community College
2:00 p.m. – Clarendon College vs Friends University JV