Blue Dragons fall in 5 sets to No. 12 Barton despite injury-depleted roster
Information obtained from HCC officials
GREAT BEND, Kan. – Playing without two starters, Hutchinson Community College volleyball pushed No. 12-ranked Barton to the limit Saturday night before falling 18-25, 25-21, 27-29, 26-24, 15-8 at the newly renovated Barton Gym.
The loss marked the Blue Dragons' second five-set Jayhawk Conference match of the week and completed Barton's regular-season sweep of Hutchinson.
The Blue Dragons dropped to 11-13 overall and 3-6 in the Kansas Jayhawk Community College Conference, while Barton improved to 20-5 and 7-1 in league play.
Sophomore Alondra Villanueva recorded her 11th double-double of the season, tallying 18 kills on 63 attacks and a career-high 28 digs to pace Hutchinson. Sophomore Jaylynn McNeill hit .290 with 13 kills on 31 attacks, and sophomore Kierny Follmer posted a career-high 12 kills on 29 swings for a .379 hitting percentage.
Barton out-hit Hutchinson .229-.175 and held advantages in kills (74-59), blocks (10-9) and aces (7-1).
Freshman setter Alexandra Garcia recorded a season-high 48 assists and notched her third double-double of the season with 10 digs. She also contributed three blocks. Follmer and freshman Mattie Galliher each had six block assists to lead the Dragons.
Stasa Stamenkovic paced Barton with a match-high 27 kills on 65 attacks. Carolini Cristiny added 17 kills, and Aubrey Olander contributed 11 kills and six blocks for the Cougars.
After dropping the opening set, Villanueva sparked a second-set rally with six kills and .333 hitting. Galliher's block on set point sealed a 25-21 victory.
Hutchinson led 22-21 in the third set and fought off two set points before Barton prevailed 29-27 to take a 2-1 match lead.
The Blue Dragons surged to an 8-0 lead to open the fourth set and led 19-14 following a Galliher-Garcia double block and Villanueva kill. Barton rallied to within 20-19, but Follmer's deep tip landed on the back line for a kill, and Hutchinson closed out a 26-24 set victory to force a fifth set.
Barton led 8-7 at the crossover and sealed the match with a 7-1 run.
Hutchinson fell to 2-4 in five-set matches this season and will host Cloud County on Wednesday at the Sports Arena.