The Barton Community College volleyball team picked up a straight victory Saturday in Torrington, Wyoming, closing out the Wyo-Braska Tournament going 1-2.
Battling some mid-season injuries and fatigue, the Cougars dropped their national tournament rematch with Northeastern Junior College in straight sets (25-23, 25-15, and 25-23) before dropping Friday's nightcap match to host school Eastern Wyoming College in four sets (25-18, 25-14, 12-25, and 25-18).
Playing one match on Saturday, Barton set the tone early against Colorado Northwestern Community College with a dominating 25-8 win before finishing it off with twin 25-18 victories. Due to the tournament scheduling and transportation issues, the Cougars had to cancel their match against 13th ranked Eastern Wyoming in returning the near eight hour trip home.
The weekend results leaves Barton 13-8 on the season with a much needed break on the schedule before getting back to conference action Friday in hosting Hutchinson Community College in a 6:30 p.m. first serve.
SATURDAY RECAP
The Cougars had the engine clicking in the opening set, recording 15 kills with just two errors in an efficient .481 on 27 swings.
Stringing four straight for an early 10-4 lead, Barton would later blow it wide open behind nine straight for a 22-6 lead in cruising to victory.
A much more competitive set ensued in the second frame with Barton looking to gain separation with a 14-11 edge going into a CNCC timeout. The Cougars continued to roll out of the stoppage, increasing the gap to 20-13 but the Spartans wouldn't go away in rattling off five straight making it a two-point margin. Following a Barton conference call with the team, the Cougars responded in pounding out the final five points.
The Cougars carried the momentum into the final set in stringing eight straight for a 15-6 advantage. The Spartans made a late surge with a 4-0 run in cutting the deficit to 21-16 but the Cougars shut the door on the match with the final four points.
Barton finished with a .231 attack, breaking a three match stretch of under a .200 percentage.
Isabella Guedes was back in the lineup for the first wave of the 6-2 offense to lead with 18 assists while Maxwell finished with 14 assists.
Tasiah Nunnery led the team's 38 kill performance with 10, adding 11 digs for her 8th double-double of the season. Buse Kocakaya posted a career high 7 kills on personal second best 11 swings and .455 attack. Mylena Testoni had 6 kills on just 13 swings (.385) while adding 15 digs, behind Hanna Miller's team leading 19.
FRIDAY RECAP
Northeastern match
Looking for revenge after being knocked out of the NJCAA Tournament a season ago to NJC, the Cougars held a narrow 22-21 edge late in the opener before a Plainswoman timeout swung all momentum as Northeastern took the opener 25-23 claiming the final three tallies and four of the final five.
In the second set Barton dug an early hole as the Plainswomen controlled the action from start to finish taking a 2-0 match lead with a 25-15 victory.
Much like the opening set, in the third Barton maintained the lead and momentum through most of the frame before Northeastern climbed back with another late rally to win 25-23.
Nunnery led the team with 7 kills, contributing as a setter for the first time in her Barton career to put up 12 assists while fellow 6-2 attack leader Maxwell led with 13 assists.
Kocakaya led the net defense with a career high 5 solo blocks while Molly Norris matched her personal best 3 blocks.
Miller led the backline with 16 digs with Jadyn Brown recording 13 and Testoni chalking up 11 digs in a limited two sets of action.
Eastern Wyoming
Facing an 0-2 uphill climb against host Eastern Wyoming to wind up the day, the Cougars fought back in the third set firing out of the gates with five of the opening seven points. A 4-0 run midway stretch gave Barton a 16-9 advantage before claiming nine of the final twelve points extending the match to a fourth set 25-12.
Unfortunately, in the fourth set a three-point Lancer spurt at the halfway mark opened things up. Barton would later cut the gap to four at 20-16 before Eastern Wyoming rode out the match with a 25-18 victory.
Nunnery flirted with a triple-double in leading the Cougars' all-around play, recording 8 kills on a .333 attack, collecting 12 digs, and putting up 9 assists.
Maxwell put up 19 assists with Miller leading the backline with 24 digs while Brown recorded 17 digs and Testoni finishing with 10.