WALNUT RIDGE, Ark. – Columbia College volleyball hit .337 and held Williams Baptist to negative hitting on Friday night, sweeping the Eagles 3-0 (25-17, 25-20, 25-15) at the Southerland-Mabee Center. The Cougars won their fourth straight match to improve to 16-6 overall and 6-0 in American Midwest Conference play, while Williams Baptist fell to 11-13 and 5-3 in the AMC.
Columbia stays in Arkansas for the Crowley's Ridge Pod in Paragould on Saturday, facing Harris-Stowe State at noon before taking on Stephens at 3 p.m.
The Cougars controlled the match from the service line and at the net, holding Williams Baptist to a -.042 attack percentage on 30 hitting errors. Columbia totaled nine team blocks to the Eagles' five and committed just 10 attack errors of its own.
Rowan Carr sparked the opening set from the service line, serving an ace and four straight points as the Cougars built a 9-3 lead. Williams Baptist answered with four straight points behind a pair of Cassie Carlson aces to pull within 9-7, but Columbia took the lead back for good. Addison Burroughs served four consecutive points to stretch a 15-11 advantage to 19-11, and Isabella Kincaid and Kenedi Canty teamed up on a block to close out a 25-17 win. The Eagles hit -.241 in the frame with 13 attack errors.
Hannah Vogt served the Cougars to a 3-0 start in the second set, and Columbia never trailed. Back-to-back Viola Giangreco kills highlighted a stretch that pushed the lead to 19-12, and after Williams Baptist cut it to 20-16, the Cougars scored five of the final nine points. Kincaid put away the set-clinching kill for a 25-20 Columbia win as the Cougars posted 15 kills in the frame.
The third set was the most competitive early, featuring five ties and the match's only lead change. Williams Baptist went up 5-3, but Columbia moved in front at 7-6 and never gave it back. Burroughs again provided a spark at the line, serving four straight points to turn a 12-9 lead into a 16-9 cushion. Carr added an ace during a late surge to go ahead 20-11, and the Cougars hit .423 in the frame to seal a 25-15 win and the sweep.
Kincaid was nearly flawless, recording nine kills on 14 attempts without an error for a career-best .643 attack percentage. Giangreco also put down nine kills, and Carr finished with eight kills, nine digs and two aces. Vogt and Alexa Olson split setting duties with 19 and 17 assists, respectively, and Taylor Johnson matched Carr with nine digs.
The win extended Columbia's all-time series lead over Williams Baptist to 42-0.
Columbia Leaders
• Kills: Isabella Kincaid 9, Viola Giangreco 9, Rowan Carr 8
• Assists: Hannah Vogt 19, Alexa Olson 17
• Digs: Rowan Carr 9, Taylor Johnson 9
• Blocks: Kenedi Canty 4 (1 solo, 3 assists), Isabella Kincaid 3 (1 solo, 2 assists), Samira Baltazar 3 (1 solo, 2 assists), Alayna Backes 3 (1 solo, 2 assists)
