No. 12 Trojans Outlast No. 8 Cougars in Five-Set Thriller

COLBY, Kan. – The No. 12 Colby Community College volleyball team kept its undefeated conference record intact Wednesday (Sept. 24) night, pulling out a dramatic five-set victory over Barton in front of a roaring home crowd. The Trojans battled through momentum swings, clutch points, and high-pressure rallies to earn a 3-2 win (26-24, 20-25, 25-21, 23-25, 16-14).

Colby struck first in the opening set, jumping ahead 9-6 after a balanced start. Barton responded with an ace to cut the lead to one, but Lena Mihaljica answered immediately with a kill to give the serve back. The Cougars clawed back to tie the set at 10-10 before Ella Dridi fired a kill to push Colby ahead 11-10.

With the score tight at 13-13, Karlotta Kattai powered a kill to make it 14-13 Trojans, only for Barton to rally for two straight points and take the lead 15-14. Amanda Caputi delivered a crafty dump kill to keep Colby within striking distance, but Barton built a 19-17 edge late. Dridi came through again to pull the Trojans within one, and moments later Chiara Binda tied the frame with an ace. A double block by the Trojans gave them the lead at 20-19, and Isadora Carrareto extended the margin to two at 23-21. Though Barton answered with a block to tie the set at 24, Colby struck twice in a row with Binda slamming the door with the final point in a 26-24 opener.

Barton quickly flipped the momentum to start set two, jumping out to a 4-0 run and keeping control throughout. Despite a late Colby push that cut the deficit to 23-20, Barton finished strong with two straight points to claim a 25-20 win and even the match at 1-1.

Carrareto opened the third with a kill, and Colby built a quick lead behind an early 6-3 edge highlighted by a Dridi finish. Mihaljica added two straight kills, and Dridi capped off another rally that pushed the lead to seven. Mihaljica stayed hot with another slam, and the Trojans appeared to be in command until Barton stormed back with a 6-0 run to pull within one.

Colby regrouped with Carrareto steadying the offense, then delivered one of the night's highlights—Kattai's wild kick save that somehow turned into a Dridi kill, igniting the Event Center crowd. From there, Colby closed out a 25-21 set behind another kill from Dridi, taking a 2-1 match lead.

The Cougars refused to go away, erasing an early 6-4 Trojan lead with four straight points to go ahead. Barton stretched the margin to 14-9 and maintained control with stout defense that countered nearly every Colby attack. Still, the Trojans mounted a late surge. Back-to-back kills from Kattai cut the deficit to 24-22, and a spectacular save from Anita Ferri set up Mihaljica for a huge kill to make it 24-23. But Barton steadied after a timeout and closed out the set 25-23, forcing a decisive fifth.

With the match on the line, both teams traded blows. Carrareto opened with a kill, and Caputi followed with an ace to put Colby in front 3-2. Barton responded with an ace of its own to swing momentum, then grabbed an 8-5 lead at the side switch following a successful challenge. Dridi's 20th kill of the night brought the Trojans within two at 9-7, and Carrareto's block closed the gap even further. Moments later, Dridi came up huge again with a block kill to tie the set at 9-9.

The Trojans surged ahead on a Carrareto and Caputi block combo for a 10-9 edge, but Barton answered to tie the score at 13. Colby delivered once more under pressure, tying the match at 14 before taking match point at 15-14. In the final rally, Binda and Kattai teamed up for a block at the net, sealing the 16-14 victory and sending the Colby Event Center into celebration.

The Trojans were led offensively by Ella Dridi, who delivered a match-high 23 kills while hitting .315 and adding 17 digs for a 26.5-point performance. Lena Mihaljica was efficient with 14 kills at a .355 clip, and Karlotta Kattai added 13 kills to go along with 15 digs. Setter Amanda Caputi ran the offense with 62 assists, notching her 2,000 career set. She also contributed seven block assists on defense. Chiara Binda and Isadora Carrareto were strong at the net, tallying eight and six combined blocks, respectively, while each chipped in nine kills. Defensively, Anita Ferri anchored the back row with 20 digs, while Dridi, Kattai, and Caputi each reached double figures in digs as well.

The win improves Colby to 14-4 (6-0) and keeps them perfect in KJCCC play. The Trojans remain atop the conference standings heading into another crucial stretch. Colby returns to the Event Center this Saturday (Sept. 27) at 2 p.m. against Seward County before hosting Pratt on Monday (Sept. 29) at 6:30 p.m. Fans are encouraged to pack the stands and keep the home atmosphere rocking.