The Barton Community College volleyball team's unblemished conference record came to an end Thursday night in Liberal as the Cougars lost 3-1 at No. 6 Seward County Community College.
Seward County took the opening sets 25-19 and 25-18 before Barton controlled most of the third set but had to hold off a late Saints charge in prevailing 25-23. In the fourth, it was all Saints early in building an eleven point lead before holding off the Cougars' rally scoring the final four points for the 25-18 match clinching victory.
Taking their first loss in conference play, Barton drops to 3-1 and 11-3 on the year while Seward County stays unbeaten improving to 6-0 and 11-3.
Barton's next match is Saturday in a 6:00 p.m. first serve at Garden City Community College before a two-match home stand beginning Monday hosting Butler Community College and Thursday against Hutchinson Community College.
Maria Santos led the Cougars with 11 kills on a .243 attack percentage as the Cougars struggled to find consistent success at just .163 on the taller Saints in finishing well below the club's average.
Tasiah Nunnery's 17 digs led the Cougars' 88-dig defensive effort. Isabella Guedes posted her third double-double of the season recording 11 digs and 22 assists as fellow 6-2 setter recorded 16 assists and eight digs.
Mylena Testoni's six blocks led the Cougars' sixteen net rejecters with Addison Crites one behind at five.
Recap
The Saints took control of the opener behind an 8-2 stretch to open up a seven point margin. Barton sliced it to five a trio of times but couldn't string enough points together down the stretch to make a comeback.
Santos and Crites led a 4-0 run early in the second giving Barton its lone lead at 10-9. The Saints took five of the next six then following a service error, tacked on four more to lead at 19-11. Santos's kill sparked four in a row for the Cougars with Jadyn Brown and Testoni adding kills on either side of a Joelle LaForce and Testoni wall of denial closing Barton to within 19-17. The Cougars managed just a Testoni kill the rest of the set as Seward County took six of the set's final seven points.
Tied at 9-all in the third frame, three straight Saints' errors opened the door and sprung new life into Barton. Adding a Santos kill and Testoni block coupled with another Saint error, Barton surged ahead in what later appeared to be a run-away victory. Following a questionable Barton service error turning the point back to the Saints, Crites provided a big block in pushing the margin to six. The difference would hover at that mark through the next five points until a Victoria O'Keefe attack widened it to seven 20-13 prompting a Saint timeout.
Barton stretched the lead to eight twice, the last coming at 23-15 before Seward County launched a 5-0 spurt closing it to three. Santos halted the run on a kill but three more points fell on the home side of the scoreboard making it one point match before LaForce and Santos teamed up at the net to reject the comeback.
The magic appeared lost for Barton in the fourth with Seward County clicking to the tune of a 12-2 stretch threatening to blow the Cougars out of the Greenhouse leading 17-5. Four straight by the Cougars pumped some life into the set and later behind LaForce and Testoni attacks, Barton had suddenly drawn to within 19-13. Following a Seward County timeout, a Testoni and Crites rejection sliced it to five before a ten minute delay halted play.
Following a rule clarification, a trio of block parties involving Santos, Crites, and Testoni cut the margin even tighter with Seward County trying to hold off the surge leading 20-17. A Barton service error squelched the momentum and following additional exchanging of service errors between the two teams, the Saints finished off the match scoring the final four points.