HUTCHINSON, Kan. – On Friday morning in Hutchinson, Kan., the Southwestern College volleyball team competed in their Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Quarterfinal match against the No. 1-seeded No. 22-ranked Ottawa University Braves. In a match that was always going to be a difficult task for SC, they gave a strong effort, but fell in straight sets. The KCAC Quarterfinal match went to the Braves by a 25-11, 25-19, 25-12 final.

"I can honestly say that I am sad this season came to an end too soon," said head coach Maggie Hans. "It has been nothing but progress and growth even through times of struggle. This team is a group of individuals who have been bought in since day one. Our year one progression has truly shown the potential this program has and will continue to build."

The jitters were evident for the squad in the opening set, unfortunately, as Ottawa put together a quick 10-point advantage at 15-5 through the first 20 points of the set. From that point forward, that advantage would not change much, as the Braves extended it slightly to 25-11 at the conclusion of the tilt. The Builders could manage just six putaways with five errors on 36 swings in the primary stanza, while Ottawa pounded down 17 kills on 39 tries. Only four miscues came off the attacking attempts of the Braves.

Set number two was much more competitive, as Southwestern finally got their feet underneath them, though they also benefitted from multiple Ottawa service errors in the first portion of the frame. The teams were neck and neck with each other, as the Braves held a slim 17-16 advantage over the Moundbuilders. From that point, the top-seeded squad took advantage, rattling off eight of the final 11 points to deal a 25-19 loss to the Builders. A nine-kill set, in which SC attacked at .171, was their best set of work in the bout on offense.

In a do-or-die third set, Ottawa seemed to have their eyes set on the sweep, building a dominant 8-2 lead over SC through the opening 10 points. That deficit would only stretch for Southwestern, as the Braves were extremely efficient on offense in the final period of play with zero attacking errors and 18 kills. The Moundbuilders gave it a strong effort, while facing the regular-season champion of the conference, falling 25-12 in the last set of the match.

Southwestern's freshman, Jayda Brittenum was the team's top mark in kills in the match, spiking home five of her 11 tries in the match with just a single miscue. Five other Builders tied for second on the squad with three putaways. Brianna Ede, Hannah Weber, Daci Stover, KaSandra Lyons and Anna Bradley made up that list.

Seniors Sierra Norlin and Maela Stevens each had 10 assists in the Quarterfinal, as they each played their final collegiate match on Friday. It was a bittersweet ending for the both of them, but the squad's improvements this year can be partially attributed to their leadership.

The KCAC Defender of the Year, Sophia Wicker, had a team-high 23 digs in the match, improving upon her 6.47 digs/set clip for the season. She racked up just under eight per set in this battle. She was the only Builder in double-digits in the category, but Weber and Stevens added eight, while Norlin added seven and Avery Riedel had five.

"We have exceeded our goal and they have pushed the standard of this program substantially," continued Hans. "I could not be more proud of the dedication and hunger that I saw my team had for one another today and the growth we saw throughout the season."

What a season it has been for Southwestern (11-15, 5-7 KCAC) in 2022. The program was coming off of a 2-16, 1-11 season in 2021 in which they missed out on the KCAC Tournament entirely. Such marked improvement over the course of a single season is certainly worth pointing out. Additional advancements will be expected from the squad in 2023 with Hans at the helm, and we cannot wait to see it next fall.

--buildersports.com--