No. 13 Trojans Push No. 6 Barton to the Brink in Five-Set Battle

GREAT BEND, Kan. — The No. 13-ranked Colby Community College volleyball team battled until the very end on Saturday (Oct. 25) night, falling just short in a five-set thriller against No. 6 Barton inside Kirkman Arena. Despite dropping the first two sets, the Trojans mounted an impressive comeback to force a decisive fifth before ultimately falling 23-25, 19-25, 25-15, 25-23, 11-15.

The opening set was tightly contested from start to finish, featuring nine ties and four lead changes. Colby's balanced attack, led by outside hitter Ella Dridi and middle blocker Chiara Binda, kept the Trojans within striking distance, but Barton used a late 4–1 surge to take the first set 25–23. Dridi posted five kills on 13 swings (.385) to pace the Trojans early. Despite a pair of aces from Isabella Byrd and a steady defensive presence from Anita Ferri, who tallied six digs in the set, the Trojans couldn't overcome a mid-set scoring drought and dropped the second 25–19.

Refusing to go away quietly, Colby came out firing in the third set. The Trojans dominated from start to finish, hitting .286 as a team and limiting Barton to its lowest offensive output of the night. Chiara Binda was unstoppable at the net, registering five kills on seven errorless attempts (.714), while setter Amanda Caputi dished out 14 assists to keep the offense in rhythm. Colby carried that momentum into the fourth set, which was filled with grit and energy on both sides. The Trojans battled through 10 ties and four lead changes, with Isadora Carrareto providing a spark at the net (three kills, three block assists) and Binda adding two timely service aces. A clutch kill by Dridi sealed a 25–23 victory for Colby, forcing a deciding fifth set.

The final frame was every bit as intense as expected as the teams traded points early and were tied 8–8 at the side switch, but a 4–0 Barton run gave the Cougars just enough breathing room to close out the match. Colby's offense cooled in the fifth, as Barton held on for a 15–11 win to claim the match.

Statistically, Colby hit .136 for the match with 58 kills, 34 errors, and 176 total attempts. The Trojans recorded 11 service aces, 72 digs, and 12 total team blocks (one solo, 22 assists). Binda turned in one of her best all-around performances of the season, finishing with 11 kills on .364 hitting, five service aces, and six total blocks (one solo). Dridi led all attackers with 16 kills, 11 digs, and two aces, while Karlotta Kattai added 11 kills and 12 digs. Caputi anchored the offense with an impressive 50 assists, while Ferri led the back row with 18 digs. Carrareto contributed seven kills on .333 hitting to go with six block assists.

With the loss, Colby falls to 21–6 overall and 13–2 in KJCCC play, while Barton improves to 25–5 and 12–1. The Trojans head to Pratt for their final regular-season contest on Wednesday (Oct. 29) at 6:30 p.m. The opening round for the Region 6 Tournament will be set for Wednesday (Nov. 5) at the higher seed's home.