Garden City posts historic win over Barton

By Mike Pilosof

Photo by Adam Shrimplin

Great Bend, KS-The Broncbusters made history on Wednesday night. 

Jelena Milovanovic and Fiona Arnold combined for 30 kills, Tola Maczka dished out 30 assists, and Garden City topped Barton in five sets 17-25, 28-26, 25-19, 24-26, 15-11 at the Kirkman Center. It was the first time ever that Garden City beat the Cougars in volleyball, snapping a 45-match winless streak. 

"I'm so proud of the girls for their willingness to keep grinding away," Head Coach, Patrick Hiltz said afterwards. 

Garden City, which entered the night 0-17 lifetime in Great Bend, looked sluggish to start, falling down 13-7 before Hiltz was forced to call a timeout. They trailed by as many as 10 in the opening frame. But things changed mightily in the second. After trailing by as many as nine, the Broncbusters maneuvered their way back into it. Arnold's kill and subsequent Maczka block ignited an 8-1 run that pulled the road team within two. After Barton extended the lead back to five, Hannah Brandt notched a kill, Kate Perryman tallied a block, and the Broncbusters fought off two set points to even the match, 1-1. 

"Winning the second set was critical and doesn't happen without complete belief in each other," Hiltz stated. "We made some switches and faced some adversity, but pushed through and stayed together."

The third set was highlighted by plenty of fireworks including Barton Coach, Alan Segal receiving a yellow card for arguing a call. Apolline Lepuissant then hushed the crowd with a powerful spike, Arnold sent a shot through the block before Lepuissant notched two more kills, giving the Broncbusters a 19-18 lead and forcing the Cougars to call timeout. Once play resumed, Yavuz swatted away a line-drive attack, and Miranda Jenkins dropped in a service ace to put Garden City up two sets to one. 

"What else can I say except it was an incredible, gut-check performance and subsequent win for the ages," Hiltz added. 

The only thing the veteran coach will kick himself about is not closing it out in four. Garden City trailed by as many as seven in the frame before a two-touch error had the Broncbusters with in three thanks to a 12-8 run. That's as close as they got in the set. 

"It's a great day when you can close them out," Hiltz added. 

They made sure to take care of business in the fifth. 

Garden City scored the first four points; then erased a three-point deficit after Barton responded with a 9-2 run. It was an epic chess match, one that included a sensational block by Yavuz and a shivering cross-court kill by Arnold, which tied it at 10. An attack error by the Cougars forced another timeout. After Barton scored to knot it at 11, the Broncbusters tallied the final four points. Milovanovic fired a shot through the block, Perryman and Arnold teamed up for back-to-back blocks, and Perryman powered a ball down the middle on match point. 

Lepuissant had 23 digs for Garden City, which improved to 16-7 overall and 4-4 in conference play. Arnold had 13 digs and Jenkins added 10.