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Columbus, Ohio • Coaching the BYU women's volleyball team in 2014, Shawn Olmstead grew a mustache during the NCAA tournament and the Cougars credited the honor code-approved facial hair for helping them get to the national championship match.

Having moved over to coach the BYU men's volleyball team in 2016, Olmstead is a bystander this time as a couple of players — setter Leo Durkin and middle blocker Price Jarman, namely — are growing 'staches in hopes of spurring the Cougars to the 2017 title.

Durkin rallied the Cougars early in the second set with some outstanding serves and digs, and Jarman posted six blocks and two kills as BYU downed Barton College 3-0 in a first-round match Tuesday night at St. John Arena.

"My wife has been miserable," Durkin said of his mustache, which he began growing when he noticed that Jarman was working on one after the Cougars beat Stanford 3-0 in the MPSF quarterfinals on April 15.

Durkin said Jarman took some heat from Olmstead for having "some scruff" on his chin before the match, and shaved everything off except the mustache.

"And from there we have been having a little competition," Durkin said. "Mine is a little blond. His is actually a little darker."

Sitting on the podium after the match with his two fellow juniors, Brenden Sander quipped that he could spend a year and not be able to grow a mustache. To Sander's left, Olmstead said he could have a better one by Thursday, if he wanted.

The Cougars could afford to have some lighthearted moments because they thoroughly thrashed Barton College, outblocking the sixth seed 18-2 in a match that lasted only 71 minutes.

After posting just 12 service aces all season, Durkin had three in the second set to get BYU out to a quick 8-1 lead. He credited assistant coach Jaylen Reyes for telling him a couple weeks ago that he needed to step closer to the sideline before his serves, which aren't thunderous, but still successful.

"Float serves can move a lot, like a knuckleball," Durkin said. "As long as you are serving in seams and making passers move, you can do a lot of damage."

So can other subtle little things, like mustaches.

drew@sltrib.com Twitter: @drewjay