Seward Tops Barton to Remain Perfect in KJCCC West

LIBERAL, Kan. – The No. 4 Seward County volleyball team took care of business Wednesday in the Greenhouse, defeating Barton for the second time this season, 3-1 (25-12, 20-25, 25-17, 25-10). The win marked the fourteenth consecutive for the Lady Saints, the second time this season that they have had a 14-match winning streak. The win also extended their Jayhawk West winning streak to 23 matches.

The Lady Saints (28-1, 13-0) started set one with two straight 6-4 runs to make it 12-8 midway through the set. Luz Sierra, Mariana Nascimento and Viviane Viana each contributed two kills during the stretch. Leading 17-10, the Lady Saints went on a 6-0 run started by a Briana Domino kill and ending with a Domino ace. With the set in hand, Seward won two of the remaining four points to win the set, 25-12.

A sluggish start in set two put the Lady Saints in an early hole. Down 2-9, a Viana kill sparked a 11-3 run for the Lady Saints, who took the lead 13-12 following a Sierra block. The Cougars quickly responded with a 4-0 run of their own to retake the lead 14-16. Barton never surrendered the lead again the second set, eventually extending it to five, winning the second set 25-20.

With the momentum now on with Barton, the Lady Saints had to fight for a lead in set three. Through the first twenty points, neither team could gain an advantage. With the set tied at ten, the Lady Saints went on a 7-1 run, with the Cougars only point coming off a Seward error. Viana came away with three kills during the run. The Lady Saints kept pushing the lead, until Sierra and Tapigliani came away with a block to give Seward the set three victory, 25-17.

The final set was the best of the night for the Lady Saints, as they hit .577 with 16 kills and only one attacking error. The Cougars never stood a chance as the Lady Saints quickly jumped out to a 14-4 lead, led by four Viana kills. The Seward lead increased to fifteen by the end of the set, with the Lady Saints finishing on a 3-0 run to win the set 25-10, and the match 3-1.

Three Lady Saints finished with double-digit kills – Viana (10), Nascimento (11), and Tapigliani (12). Nascimento finished the night hitting .688, increasing her season average to .452, now within striking distance of the single-season record for the Lady Saints. Giovanna Kuntze paced the match with 38 assists.

Domino was the lone Lady Saint to come away with double-digit digs, finishing the match with 14. Kuntze and Viana both came up one short, finishing with nine digs. The Lady Saints finished with eight blocks on the night, led by Sierra’s five. This marked the 16th time this year that Sierra has had five or more blocks.

The Lady Saints will travel to El Dorado on Saturday to take on the Butler Grizzlies at 2 p.m. for their final road match of the season, before ending the regular season with a two-match home stand against Colby and Hutchinson.

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Ian Applegate