Liberal, Kansas – Seward County faced a familiar foe from their 2023 season on Wednesday night when they stepped on the court in the Green House against the #5 nationally ranked Barton Cougars who came in firing against the Lady Saints and walked out with a 3-0 sweep. Barton is coached by Liberal native Megan Besecker, who is in her second season after winning the Jayhawk in her first season.
Seward County fell behind in the first few points of the first set with the Cougars pushing in front by three before a kill from the right side by Keala Wilson trimmed it back to two with Barton leading 5-3. An 11-1 run by the Cougars resulted in the Lady Saints sinking down into a hole that seemed to keep getting deeper before Mariana Silva stepped up to the task and hammered down back-to-back kills for the Lady Saints to make the score 16-6 in favor of the Cougars. Seward County tried to show some firepower late in the set with Silva connecting on another kill before Marcelina Pyka sprung up in the middle of the net for a rocket down the middle but could not overcome a strong first set from Barton who took the set 25-11.
It was the Lady Saints who took the lead to start the second set with Zeynep Olcay Balci throwing down an SCCC to charge ahead while an ace from Lisa Gomez kept the foot on the gas for Seward County. It did not take long for the Lady Saints to tie things up and grow a lead of their own that swiftly began to stretch out but was halted by a block at the net from Lajla Rasljanin to keep the score close at 13-10 Cougars. Another run from Barton allowed them to grow their lead to double figures and despite Camden Bizot connecting for a kill from the right side and Pyka silencing Barton at the net with a solo block, it could not stop a 2-0 set lead from the Cougars who took the set 25-14.
With their backs against the wall, Seward County came out firing in the third set with Bizot sinking in an ace for a 4-0 start while a block at the pin from Pyka and Wilson helped to start the set with a 6-1 lead. Barton found a way to answer back and trim the gap to as low as one but a solo stuff from Rasljanin in the center of the net helped keep the Lady Saints ahead 10-8 before the Cougars rallied to tie the score up at 12-12. Bizot and Pyka combined for a pair of kills to put SCCC back in the driver’s seat while a perfectly placed serve from Rasljanin extended their scoring run and put Seward County in front 16-12 with the Lady Saints in full control. Olcay Balci and Rasljanin once again silenced the Cougars at the net with a roof raising block to continue Seward County’s onslaught with a 22-16 lead to put them three points away from forcing a fourth set. Barton however did not shy away as the Cougars went on an 8-2 run to lock the score back up at 24-24 and eventually overcame the Lady Saints lead with a 27-25 win in the third to solidify a 3-0 sweep against Seward County.
The Lady Saints now fall to 5-8 in the 2024 season with a Jayhawk conference record of 2-2 to put them at .500 in KJCCC action. Seward County will now turn their attention to another top ten nationally ranked opponent on Saturday for an early matchup at 2:00 PM with SCCC taking on the #6 Colby Trojans inside of the Green House.
