WINFIELD, Kan. – On Wednesday evening inside Stewart Field House, the Southwestern College volleyball squad started their 2022 campaign off with a bang against the Peru State College Bobcats. It was a match that ended up being decided in just the minimum of three sets, as the Builders cruised to a season-opening triumph by the final of 25-12, 25-23, 25-23 over the visiting Bobcats.

Southwestern got things rolling in the early stages of the bout, as the Builders put up an 11-2 run after holding just an 8-7 lead to start the stanza. The momentum created a massive 19-9 lead, which they would continue to add onto for the remainder of the set. A 25-12 finish in the opening frame would be sweetened by the cherry on top, which was the stellar attacking numbers that SC was able to put up. An attacking percentage of .250 with 13 kills in the first set of the campaign is a welcome sign for the 2022 Moundbuilders.

Set number two had a very fortunate theme for the home squad, as the visiting Bobcats had very little success when serving the ball in the middle stanza. A whopping eight service errors were tallied by Peru State in the set, which put a damper on an otherwise impressive period of play for the visitors. PSC ended up with 16 kills in the second frame, while the Builders managed just nine. Additionally, the Bobcats led the Builders in attacking percentage, but allowing eight free points to Southwestern proved to be the difference, as SC was able to stave off a furious run at the end of the set to win 25-23.

Finally, in the last of three sets in the match, neither side was particularly sharp in regards to attacking. In fact, both squads hit the same percentage in the frame, checking in at .056 for the stanza. It really was a show of grit and determination by Southwestern to earn the sweep, as they faced a 22-19 deficit in the late going. The team put together a 6-1 run over the final seven points of the match to earn the straight-set win.

Offensively for the Builders, it was Cierra Harrison who led the way, as she put up a gaudy 10 kills on just 16 attempts while committing just two errors. She attacked at an unrivaled .500 clip, while being the only hitter in the matchup who reached double-digits in kills. Several other SC attackers racked up multiple putaways, as well, as both Jayda Brittenum and Daci Stover managed five kills in the tilt. Hannah Weber (4), Adeline McIntire (3), and Sierra Norlin (2) were also able to spike down two or more attempts.

As far as setters are concerned, there was an evenly dealt share of assists for three Builder distributors. The freshman, Reece Likes, led the squad in assists with 10, while veterans Norlin (8) and Sophia Wicker (7) provided additional production as passers.

The standout Builder Libero, Wicker, led the team with 12 digs on the evening. Norlin was also a large part of the Moundbuilders' success defensively, tallying 11 pickups in the bout. Their efforts were followed by seven digs from Kinley Williams, as well as five from Likes, and four from Weber. Brittenum was credited with four blocks in the battle, as the squad had 12 assisted blocks, equating to six total blocks over the course of the match.

It was a great start to the season for the Builders (1-0), as they look forward to a larger challenge on the not-so-distant horizon, as they travel to Sioux City, Iowa to compete in the Charger Invitational, hosted by Briar Cliff University Chargers, beginning Friday, August 26 at 7 p.m. against the hosts. They will then battle both Valley City State University (11 a.m.) and Mount Mercy University (3 p.m.) on Saturday, August 27 in Sioux City to close out the three-match event.

--buildersports.com--