Barton Leads Hot Husky Attack In Sweep Of Buffs

Friday, October 13

Seattle, WA

7:00 PM

University of Washington

12-6,3-4Pac-12

Colorado

10-8,2-5Pac-12

Colorado

Washington

October 13, 2023 | Volleyball

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By: UW Athletic Communications

SEATTLE – The current Pac-12 Freshman of the Week started her bid for a second term tonight with a very un-freshman-like 17 kills on a .500 attack percentage in just three sets as the Huskies got the first sweep in Pac-12 play, defeating Colorado 25-21, 25-18, 25-19 at Alaska Airlines Arena tonight. Washington (12-6, 3-4 Pac-12) hit a season-high .343 to get its third conference win in the past four matches.

Barton, the Chandler, Ariz. product, tied for the second-most kills of her freshman season tonight, but it was the most she's had in just three sets. The .500 attack percentage was also a season-high, as she had 17 kills with just two errors on 30 swings. Junior setter Molly Wilson kept her in rhythm, dishing out 31 assists to go with a team-leading 12 digs and Wilson also had a career-high five kills. Audra Wilmes also thrived with 11 kills on a .333 attack percentage with nine digs and two aces.

The Dawgs WIN on the #KayceAce ????@UWHuskies_AD is officially 1-0 on Montlake, let's get him to 2-0 tomorrow at Husky Stadium!!#PointHuskies pic.twitter.com/HA3iM6GFd0
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) October 14, 2023

The Huskies had 45 kills to 37 for the Buffs, and held slim advantages in aces (7-6) and digs (42-38) with Colorado leading in blocks (8.0-2.0).

"Colorado's a scary team," said Head Coach Leslie Gabriel. "They're very physical and they can be really good. So I was proud of how we came out and served tough and slowed them down a little bit. I thought Molly did a great job tonight, but K.B. hitting .500 as a freshman, that was fun to see. That's one thing we talked about, every game there's someone different that steps up and that's what's fun about this group. They just work hard and go hard all the time."

UW got junior Lauren Bays back after she missed the past week with a concussion, and Bays posted six digs, teaming well with Grace Zilbert who had seven.

GEEE ZEEE WHAT A DIG!! ??????#PointHuskies // #NCAAVB // @ncaavolleyball pic.twitter.com/3BDri9R8UK
— Washington Volleyball (@UWVolleyball) October 14, 2023

UP NEXT: The Huskies host Utah on Sunday at 12 noon looking for a third-straight conference victory. That match will be live on Pac-12 Networks Washington.

Set One: Both teams came out hitting hot, with UW putting away six of its first eight swings. But tough Buffs serving earned them a lead at 7-10 and UW called the first timeout. The Huskies trailed by five at 9-14 before running off seven of the next eight points to retake the lead. Barton had two kills in the run and Wilson fired an ace. Another ace from Zilbert moved the Huskies up two, 18-16. The teams traded sideouts until Barton scored on a roll shot to get the Huskies three set points at 24-21. They only needed one, as Wilmes crushed a Wilson set to end the next rally and the set, 25-21. Barton had 7 kills on 10 swings without an error in the first set as the Huskies hit .433 as a team to hold off the .353 mark from Colorado.

Set Two: Kills from Endsley and Barton made it a quick 2-0 in the second, and UW used another 4-0 run to make it 9-4 and force the Buffs timeout. Wilson and Hani had UW's first block of the match for the 9-4 point. Wilson called her own number and Wilmes and Endsley finished for 13-7 and the last CU timeout. Barton hand-set a beauty to Wilmes who put it away from the back row for 18-11. Washington cruised to the finish, getting to set point on another Wilmes kill and finishing on a Buffs service error for 25-18. The Huskies hit even better in the second, connecting at .484 with four kills apiece from Wilmes and Barton.

Set Three: Wilson opened the third with an ace. The teams were even though the first eight points then UW had a 3-0 run capped by a Wilmes ace. Colorado came back to tie and take the lead at 11-12 as the Huskies took time, but UW answered back with three in a row for 14-12 and the Buffs used their own timeout. Hani ended a long rally by hitting down an overdig for 16-14 Dawgs, and then Barton finished a Zilbert set for 17-14. The Buffs blocked Barton but she answered back with two straight kills for 19-16 and CU used its last timeout. Maeve Griffin found an ace off the net tape for a key point at 21-18. Wilson got her fifth kill for 23-19, and a CU attack error made it match point at 24-19. Kayce Litzau ended it quickly with an ace in the deep corner for 25-19. UW hit .158 in the third but got the serve going with four aces without a miss. Barton had six more kills in the set.