The Barton Community College volleyball team wrapped up home match play Friday night with a disappointing loss to Butler Community College. In what would be the last game in the Barton Gym for nine Lady Cougars, Butler took the first set 25-17 before the Cougars evened the match with a 25-22 win. On a night little went in the favor of the Cougars offensively or defensively, Butler closed out the match with 25-17 and 25-23 victories. The loss dropped Barton to 5-9 in conference and 7-23 overall while Butler improved to 4-10 and 11-19.
"It was a big game on a big night," Barton head coach Phil Shoemaker said. "We did not come up with a big performance."
Butler built an early 13-8 lead then took four of the next six to draw the second Barton timeout of the set. The Grizzlies were unfazed holding off the Cougars for a 25-17 opening set win.
In a back and forth second, Barton played much better and used 3-0 run to open up a 15-12 lead. Following a Butler timeout, the Cougars started to run away with the set but three straight by the Grizzlies narrowed the deficit to three but it was as close as they could come as Barton held off the charge for a 25-22 win to tie the match.
The Grizzlies came out hot in the third opening up a quick 6-2 lead prompting a quick Barton timeout. Drawing to within three numerous times, the Cougars couldn't make the big run needed and Butler cruised to the 25-17 win.
The tide turned to begin the fourth as the Cougars came out firing getting out to a three point 8-4 lead. The Grizzlies responded with four straight to tie it as the teams would battle back and forth eventually ending up in a 16-all deadlock setting off Butler Head Coach Crystal Blue in arguing with the officials and subsequently earning a red card. Butler then regained the lead at 21-20 and outscored the Cougars 4-3 down the stretch in winning 25-23 and taking the match.
"We missed a ton of scoring chances and committed too many errors," Shoemaker said. "Our defense, blocking and digging gave great effort but we lacked control and were surprised too often. At this point we need to know better."
The result was the lowest attaching efficiency (.082) for the Cougars since taking on Hutchinson back on October 4 and also marked the most errors in a match this season at 38. Jordan Edelman led the Cougars with nine kills with fellow freshman Emily Deterding was close behind at eight while leading with a .263 attack percentage.
The night was also the end of three straight double-double performances by the sophomore setting duo of Casey Friesen and Lakyn Rowden. Friesen led with 25 kills and finished with seven digs while Rowden recorded thirteen assists to go along with eight digs. Mykela Riedl recorded her ninth twenty or more save performance leading the team with twenty-three digs.
"Now we have a couple tough, tough road game," Shoemaker said. "We need to gear up for the playoffs and compete at a better level. We can do that."
Barton will wind down the regular season with two road matches next week. The Cougars will first travel to third place Colby Community College (10-5, 15-18) on Tuesday before two days later taking on conference champion Hutchinson Community College. First serve for both matches is 6:30 p.m.