Barton's Oliveira earns conference and national Division I defensive honor #GoBarton

Karina de Oliveira of the Barton Community College volleyball team not only earned her second conference award of the season, but now garners national distinction as the sophomore was named this morning as the NJCAA Division I Defensive Player of the Week.

Averaging eight digs per set, Oliveira continues to anchor Barton's back line with coverage all over the court and this past week helped the Cougars to a pair of wins including over a ranked opponent solidifying the team's top-four standing of the Jayhawk West.

Recording 9.3 digs per set in the sweep over Butler, Oliveira chalked up another twenty-eight total digs helping lead an upset win over No. 20 Colby.

The week's efforts brought Oliveira to 634 digs on the season while eclipsing the 1000 career mark with 1026, as both stats rank second best in Barton Volleyball history.

Nominated but not receiving the top award for setter of the week, fellow sophomore Agnieska Paskevic keyed the offense averaging over ten assists per set in the pair of wins.

Recording 12 assists in the sweep over Butler, Paskevic exceeded the 1000 assist mark last Wednesday in the victory over Colby by putting up 9.25 assists per set, to go along with, four blocks and twenty-five digs in posting her 15th double-double of the season.

Also being nominated after the Cougars' 2-0 week, Eduarda Souza's stats weren't eye-popping to earn the weekly offensive award, but her execution and numbers were key support in the victories in posting fourteen kills on a .278 attack with three blocks and sixteen digs.

Winners of three straight, Barton has hopes of a second seed out of the Jayhawk West but has secured at least the third spot for the upcoming Region VI playoffs.

Currently at 11-3 in conference and 21-11 overall, Barton has two remaining regular season matches beginning tonight with a trip to current sixth place Independence Community College (6-9, 11-18), before turning sights on Friday's "Sophomore Night" hosting current seventh place Garden City Community College (4-10, 7-26).