The Barton Community College volleyball team got back into the win column on Wednesday as the Cougars dispatched Garden City Community College in straight sets 25-16, 25-18, and 25-15.
The 44th win against no defeats in the series improves Barton to 7-2 in league and 16-9 overall while Garden City slides to 1-8 and 7-17 overall
Barton steps out of conference play on Friday for a 6:30 p.m. first serve hosting Hesston College before jumping back into league action on Monday in traveling to Colby Community College.
Mylena Testoni's seven first set kills set the tone with four coming early jumping Barton out to a 9-2 lead. Garden City was able to work the deficit to three but four straight led by Maria Santos' block and kill doubled up the Broncbusters at 14-7. The Cougars doubled up the visitors again behind a six pack of points, three coming on the swings of Testoni in rolling out to a 22-9 lead. Garden City took the next five points but the teams traded a pair of points the rest of the set.
Attacking at an opening .370 percentage with 13 kills, the Cougars cooled down to .235 but chalked up fifteen kills in the second frame. Buse Kocakaya led the Cougars' season high 12 block with five (1 solo and 4 assisted), beginning the set with a block as the teams would battle point for point until the 6-5 mark. From there Barton gained separation behind a trio of straight points led by Hanna Miller's service ace, keeping distance from the Broncbusters to mid-set before Santos' kill and Jada Davis' service ace increased the lead to 13-7. Garden City took the next three but Barton responded with four of the next five widening the lead to 22-15. Each team countered with three straight with Santos' kill, Addison Crites' block, and Testoni's swing and boom wrapping up the seven point victory.
The middle net play of Kocakaya and Victoria Da Silva helped get Barton off to match high .375 attack in the third, mixing in the pair of kills by Tasiah Nunnery staking Barton out to a 9-5 advantage. The lead grew to seven following a pair of Testoni kills. Trading the points into the mid-set point, Barton put the Broncbusters in the taillights on four straight coming on another Santos kill, Davis providing a solo wall of denial, and back-to-back kills by Testoni and Joelle LaForce for a 23-14 lead. Following just the 12th Barton attack error of the night, Barton put it away with the final two points including Davis' second service ace recording the night's final point.
Following a limited action Saturday night in Liberal, Testoni came out firing twenty-four swings for a .542 efficiency for her 14 kills to lead the Cougars while also recording four blocks.. Santos was also very efficient in her 14 swings, chalking up 8 kills on a team leading .571 attack. Nunnery finished with 8 kills as well, adding 11 digs with Miller leading the backline with a handful of clutch saves in chalking up 17 digs.
Joining Kocakaya having a hand on five blocks, Testoni, Da Silva, and Santos each recorded four while Crites finished with two.
The setting crew of Isabella Guedes and Mya Maxwell helped guide the offense to a .318 attack putting up 22 and 15 assists respectively.