Box Score WILSON, N.C. – Back on the road, the King University men's volleyball team looked to start their three game road trip in winning fashion when they matched up against Barton College in a Conference Carolinas affair. Although Nick Serowski posted 17 kills, the Tornado was not able to get the job done as they fell to Barton in five sets.
Serowski started the scoring off for King (11-8, 7-4 CC) when he sent a Barton attack right back down to give the Tornado an early lead. The scoring would go back and forth till King gained another lead at 10-9 off a Serowski kill assisted by Nick Drooker. The Tornado would fall down by four points before Lychock recorded a kill to get King within three at 21-18. The Bulldogs would score the next four points and take set one 25-18.
Barton (10-14, 8-6 CC) got on the board first in set two off of two King block errors before Ryan DeLong got the Tornado on the board by way of kill followed by an Eddie Moushikhian kill to tie the set up at two. Lychock would give the Tornado a one point advantage at 10-9 but Barton tallied a kill immediately after to the tie the set back up. King recorded three straight points to open their lead to 17-12 forcing a Barton timeout. The Bulldogs registered a point out of the timeout but Serowski added a kill to give the Tornado a five point advantage. Adrian Besson delivered a kill and Serowski put the set away off a kill and King won set two, 25-23.
King got the first two points in set three on a Serowski kill and Drooker service ace but Barton would tie the game up in two attempts. The set was all square at 14 before Barton tallied six straight points and did not look back winning set three, 25-18.
The Tornado came out looking to force a fifth set scoring four straight points, capped off by a Drooker service ace. The King lead scattered between three and four points before Barton narrowed it down to two at 12-10. A Moushikhian kill gave King a three point lead at 21-18 but the Bulldogs came right back and brought the score to 22-20. Stephen Brown came up big for King with a kill and two attack errors from Barton gave the Tornado set four 25-21, forcing a fifth and final set.
King got on the board first and did exactly what they needed to do, tally three straight points before Barton got on the board. The Bulldogs tied the set up but two Lychock kills and setting error gave the Tornado a two point lead at 6-4. Serowski regained the lead for King at 11-10 on a kill off a pass from Drooker. King tied the set up at 14-14, however, Barton posted two straight points to end the set and the match.
As a team, King recorded an attack percentage of .168 while Barton posted an attack percentage of .368. The Bulldogs registered 38 digs to King's 28. Leading the way for the Tornado was Serowski with 17 kills followed by Moushikhian with 11.
The Tornado will be back in action on Saturday, March 21 when they will play the University of Mount Olive at 2:00 pm in Mount Olive, N.C.
