Grizzlies Fall to No. 9 Barton in Conference Opener
EL DORADO, Kan. – Grizzlies fall to 2-2 in loss to No. 9 Barton in 3 sets in the 2025 conference opener.
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | T |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
25 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
|
|
20 | 14 | 16 | 0 |
Team Stats
Barton
| Game Statistics | Barton | Butler |
|---|---|---|
| Hitting % | .337 | .183 |
| Blocks | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Digs | 46 | 43 |
| Aces | 7 | 4 |
EL DORADO, Kan. – After going 2-1 at the Reiver Classic in Council Bluffs, Iowa over the weekend, the Grizzlies returned to El Dorado for their home and conference opener on Tuesday night.
The Grizzlies (2-2, 0-1) hosted the No. 9 Barton Cougars (5-0, 1-0), and the Cougars took all three sets from the Grizzlies (20-25, 14-25, 16-25).
Butler was held to just a .183 hitting percentage, on top of their 13 attack errors, seven receiving errors, and four serving errors, while Barton hit .337. Barton has swept three of their first five opponets on the young season.
True freshman Miami Kirksay led the way for the Grizzlies with eight kills and nine digs. Ryann Hamilton was second on the squad with five kills. Taylin Stallbaumer had 15 assists on the night along with seven digs.
Grizzlies and Barton were squared away 19-19 late in the first set, but the Cougars managed to pull away to win the set 20-25. The Grizzlies found themselves down early to Barton in the second set, where the Cougars took advantage and won 25-15. Finally in the third set, the Grizzlies found themselves in an even deeper hole in the third set, falling behind 1-11 to start the third set. After taking a timeout, the Grizzlies fought back to cut the Cougars lead to 6. Barton eventually prevailed and completed the sweep, winning the third set 16-25.
Next up: The Grizzlies head back on the road as they travel to McCook, Nebraska to compete in the McCook Invitational on Friday, where they will face Lamar Community College at 2:00 p.m.
