The Barton Community College volleyball team opened the 2023 season Friday splitting its pair of matches at the McCook Invitational in McCook, Nebraska.

The new coaching staff of Head Coach Megan Besecker and Assistant Sarah Simmons picked up their first collegiate win in the Cougars' second match on Friday in a sweep over Iowa Lakes Community College (25-10, 27-25, and 25-13).

Mya Thompson's 11 kills and Phoebe Reyes' 10 led Barton, Thompson at a .455 attack with Reyes an even better .556 on eighteen swings while defensively combining for twelve blocks.

Elena Stankovic keyed the Cougars' .362 attack with 22 assists, Clara Lindstrom leading the backline coverage with 14 digs while Kassidy Nixon had 10.

The season began four hours earlier in Barton's game one of the four match weekend on a three set loss to 12th ranked Northeastern Junior College (25-16, 25-23, and 25-13).

Nixon led the Cougars with 8 kills in finishing with a team high 14 on the day.

Service received haunted the Cougars throughout, ten coming in the opener with another twelve in the day's finale.