SAINT LEO, Fla. – After dropping their first set through their first five Sunshine State Conference matches, the ninth-ranked Barry women's volleyball team bounced back to take the four-setter from the Lions of Saint Leo on the road Friday night at the Bowman Center.
Final: #9 Barry 3, Saint Leo 1
Records: Barry (10-2, 5-0 SSC), SLU (4-12, 0-6 SSC)
All-Time Series: Barry leads series 59-18
- Set One – Valeriya Kozlova earned the Bucs first point with a solo block. It was a back-and-forth battle for a majority of the set, with Barry holding the advantage. After a 18-18 stalemate, the Lions took the lead and closed out the set on a 7-4 run to take the match lead. It was an offensive battle with both teams having 14-plus kills and hitting over .250. Both teams also had four blocks in the set. Saint Leo earned 22 of their 25 points in the set. | SLU 25, Barry 22
- Set Two – Saint Leo once again earned the first point of the set. Kozlova went on a tear of her own with a kill and two blocks to kick off a 5-0 run that would be the difference maker in the second set. Varvara Osychenko closed out the set with a kill to tie the match. Veronika Eremeeva turned it up with eight kills on 10 swings with not a single error to hit .800, she also added six digs and a block in the set. Barry earned every single point with 20 kills, three blocks and two service aces and making just one attack error, hitting .528. | Barry 25, SLU 16
- Set Three – Both teams tried to gain the advantage to move a step closer to a match win. After a late 23-23 tie, the Bucs were able to close it out with back-to-back kills from Eremeeva and Osychenko. Eremeeva had another dominant set with six kills on 12 swings. There were 14 ties and five lead changes in the set. | Barry 25, SLU 23
- Set Four – Barry led from start to finish as Kozlova knocked down the first kill. Maye McConnell came in and served up an ace to keep the momentum going. The Bucs cruised to take the match as Osychenko closed it out with a service ace of her own. Kozlova and Eremeeva dominated the set for a combined 11 kills on 17 swings with just one error. Kozlova went a perfect six for six on attempts. The defense locked in for four blocks and forcing a .026 hitting percentage for the Lions. | Barry 25, SLU 18
- Three Buccaneers were in double figures for kills.
- Eremeeva had a season-high 23 kills, one short of her career-high.
- The sophomore hit .422 and had a double-double with 14 digs, adding five blocks and five assists.
- Kozlova had 18 kills, hitting .342 with six blocks, three solos.
- Osychenko had her 10th game with 10 or more kills this season with 12. She tacked on 15 digs for a season-high and her fifth double-double.
- Alondra Lebron had a great back row performance with 12 digs and perfectly receiving 29 serves.
- Thalia Iglesias led the setting role with 35 assists, tying her season-high.
- The offensive triple threat has put up double-digit kills in three straight matches.
- Statistically Barry led in all categories, except digs.
- Barry has won ten matches in a row and holds a 15-1 set win advantage in SSC play.
- This is the 10th straight win against the Lions.
Barry will close out the week on the road against Eckerd on Saturday, October 3.
