WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College battled through four competitive sets but ultimately fell to Tabor College, 25-23, 25-15, 27-29, 25-19, in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference action Saturday morning in Hillsboro.
The Moundbuilders, now 8-12 overall and 2-4 in KCAC play, showed grit throughout the match, especially in a thrilling third set, but couldn't sustain momentum against a balanced Tabor attack.
Southwestern started strong in the opening set, building early momentum behind the hitting of Autumn Bennett and Mikki Johnson. Bennett got the Builders rolling with several early kills, and Johnson added sharp attacks from the outside to put Southwestern up 8-4. A service ace from Lauren Broz extended the lead, but Tabor's offense, led by Liana McGonigle and Josephine Fuamatu, rallied to steal the set 25-23.
Tabor maintained that pressure in the second frame, capitalizing on Southwestern's attack errors to pull away 25-15. Despite strong setting from Natalie Blaufuss and scrappy defense by libero Avery Riedel, the Moundbuilders struggled to find rhythm offensively, committing five attack errors in the set.
The third set saw the Builders' best volleyball of the evening. Ashlyn Tag ignited the offense with powerful swings from the right side, recording five of her team-high 15 kills in the set. Bennett added clutch kills from the right pin9, while Reece Likes distributed the ball effectively, tallying 19 assists and 12 digs overall. Southwestern fought off two Tabor set points before Jaimeris Rivera's timely service ace sealed the 29-27 victory, energizing the bench and extending the match.
In the fourth, Southwestern kept pace early but couldn't overcome a late Tabor surge. Tag continued to lead the attack, while Blaufuss provided steady setting with 22 assists and seven digs. Johnson contributed eight kills and three digs, and Bennett added 10 kills to round out a balanced offensive effort. Defensively, Riedel anchored the back row with 22 digs, and Riley Valley added 10 to help keep plays alive.
As a team, Southwestern finished with 45 kills on a .107 hitting percentage, adding seven service aces and 80 total digs. The Builders' strongest offensive set came in the third, when they hit .214 with 14 kills and three aces.
For Tabor, McGonigle paced all players with 20 kills on a .333 clip, while Fuamatu added 12 kills and 15 digs. The Bluejays hit .211 as a team with 52 kills and eight service aces.
Southwestern (8-12, 2-4 KCAC) will look to rebound when it returns home next Wednesday, October 15, to face Evangel University at 5 p.m. inside Stewart Field House in Winfield, Kansas.
