Belmont Abbey sophomore Lydia Schellenberg tied for the match high with 11 kills and ten digs and junior Angela Jubb added ten kills as the Crusaders volleyball team opened its home and Conference Carolinas schedule with a 3-0 win over the visiting Barton Bulldogs this evening at the Wheeler Center. Set scores were 25-15, 25-23 and 25-19 as the Crusaders move to 5-4 overall and 1-0 in Conference Carolinas, while Barton drops to 4-3 overall and 0-1 in Conference Carolinas.

Schellenberg posted the only double double of the match with 11 kills and ten digs, recording her 11 kills on 31 total attacks with just four errors (.226). She added a service ace. Jubb registered ten kills, eight digs, two block assists and a solo block. Senior setter Molly Gwaltney handed out 18 assists and Kay Schellenberg posted 17. Libero Heather Wagner posted nine digs as the Crusaders edged Barton 47-45 in that category.

Kati Wood led Barton with 11 kills, the only Bulldog player to record more than five. She added nine digs. Meka Hoover posted 25 assists and five digs. Libero Amanda Grandy posted 13 digs, seven of which came in the first set.

Belmont Abbey's offense jumped out early in the first set, hitting .361 (16 kills, three errors on 36 total attacks) and held Barton to a .156 attack (nine kills, four errors on 32 total attacks).

In set two, the numbers were slightly lower as the Crusaders held off a late charge to bolt out to a 2-0 set lead.

In the final stanza, Barton won the first four points before the Abbey clawed back to win the next five points and claim a lead it would never lose, punctuating the match with a Lydia Schellenberg kill, assisted by older sister Kay.

The Crusaders are back in action tomorrow at 2:00 p.m. when they welcome Mount Olive.