Box Score WINFIELD, Kan. – On an evening where the Southwestern College volleyball team played host to the Avila University Eagles in the first round of the Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KCAC) Tournament, the Builders finished off the Eagles in the same manner as the last time they saw them just under a week ago, handing them a 3-0 sweep. The victory came in 25-18, 25-22, 25-23 fashion, sending the Moundbuilders on to the KCAC Tournament Quarterfinals on Friday.
"I could not be prouder of this program and what we have accomplished together in such little time," stated head coach Maggie Hans. "Tonight's win is a true reflection of this program's growth. Our program camaraderie and team culture have truly paved the way for our success. We believe in trusting the process."
The first set of the battle held a back-and-forth tone for the majority of play, but Southwestern finished the stanza on a heater, scoring 12 of the final 17 points of the set to win 25-18 after being tied at 13 in the middle stages of the frame. Southwestern boasted 12 kills on 37 swings in the period, while only committing five errors. Conversely, Avila ended in the positive as attackers, but not by a large margin. They had eight kills and seven errors on 35 tries in the set, which will not often get the job done. The 25-18 win sent SC to set two with the lead.
The Eagles did swing more effectively in the second, picking up 14 kills. The legitimate issue for the visitors was that they also committed 11 errors, putting themselves in a much tougher position to catch the Moundbuilders. Southwestern also did not have the cleanest set on offense, but only made seven errors, while picking up 10 putaways. In the frame, the Builders hit at .068, barely outpacing Avila at .052. It was strong finish from SC that, once again, earned them a set win. They took seven of the final 11 points in the set after being locked in a stalemate at 18 apiece earlier in the frame. The 25-22 win put Southwestern just one set shy of reaching the KCAC Tournament Quarterfinals.
After taking a 10-6 lead early in the third stanza, Southwestern would relinquish the lead and allow Avila to take a 17-14 advantage. However, yet again, the Builders stormed back with a 11-6 showing over the last 17 points of the match. The effort was highlighted by 14 kills and just five miscues from the Moundbuilders, while the Eagles gave it their best but fell short with 14 kills and six errors. Southwestern hit at .200 for the frame, holding Avila to .160 in the process. The 25-23 win clinched the Builders' ticket to Hutchinson this Friday morning at 11 a.m.
"This team has had their ups and downs like any other program," continued Hans. "But this group of individuals has shown nothing but resilience in the face of adversity."
KaSandra Lyons and Anna Bradley led the squad with eight kills each. Lyons (.368) did her damage on 19 swings, while only tallying a single error. Bradley (.300) only had a pair of mishaps on her 20 attempts. Brianna Ede added six putaways to the tally, while Jayda Brittenum had an efficient five kills on 10 tries with just a single error. Hannah Weber and Daci Stover had four kills for the squad, as well.
Maela Stevens and Sierra Norlin split the assist duties, as Stevens took the larger share of the workload in this one. She had 19 dimes in this one, while Norlin added 14 to the team's numbers. Sophia Wicker dished out three assists over the course of the three sets to round out the assist numbers.
Wicker led the squad, as usual, in digs with 20. She was followed by Stevens with 12 and Norlin with 10 as the three Builders with 10 or more pickups. Avery Riedel and Weber each had eight digs, while Stover added six and Bradley contributed five as the final Moundbuilders with five or more digs.
The squad had 14 block assists in the battle, as Brittenum led the charge with four. Then, Ede and Bradley added three apiece, and Stover had a pair. Weber and Lyons also were credited with a block assist on the evening.
"We will continue to persevere and look forward to continuing our season this Friday in the KCAC Tournament," remarked Hans.
What a win it was for the Builders (11-14, 5-7 KCAC), who have punched their ticket to Hutchinson, Kan. on Friday for the KCAC Tournament Quarterfinals against the top-seeded and No. 25-ranked Ottawa University Braves. It has been a major step forward for this Moundbuilder team after a 13th-place finish last season with no postseason whatsoever. The team has won its first postseason match under coach Hans and will look for more at 11 a.m. this Friday.
--buildersports.com--
