WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College battled back from a two-set hole to claim a thrilling five-set victory over Avila (Mo.) on Wednesday night, winning 23-25, 22-25, 25-18, 25-19, 15-12 in Kansas City, MO.
The Lady Builders (8-11, 2-3 KCAC) showed resilience and poise after a shaky start, using tough serving, a more disciplined block, and efficient hitting to outlast the Eagles and earn their second conference win of the season.
Avila came out strong in the opening two sets, using early leads and timely swings from Megan Davies and Sydney Owens to keep Southwestern off balance. The Builders struggled to find rhythm offensively, hitting under .100 through the first two frames. However, the momentum shifted in the third set when Southwestern began to clean up errors and control the tempo from the service line.
Setter Reece Likes orchestrated the comeback with precision, dishing out 25 assists and adding five service aces. Her steady setting allowed the Builders' hitters to find their groove, while her serving runs in both the third and fourth sets gave Southwestern separation at key moments. Likes' back-to-back aces early in the fourth set ignited a 7-0 run that forced Avila to call a timeout as the Builders surged ahead.
Outside hitter Mikki Johnson powered the attack with a dominant performance, tallying 22 kills while hitting .353 on 51 attempts. She delivered clutch kills late in multiple sets, including three straight points that helped the Builders pull away in the fifth. Autumn Bennett followed with 12 kills and a .216 hitting percentage, attacking confidently from the left pin and finding success tooling Avila's block.
Middle blocker Macey Collier was a force at the net, finishing with six total blocks—three of them solo—while also contributing four kills. Her presence at the net helped slow Avila's offense and create transition opportunities for the Builders. Defensively, libero Avery Riedel led all players with 18 digs, covering the backcourt with quick reads and solid serve-receive passing. Defensive specialist Riley Valley added 14 digs to bolster the effort, while Natalie Blaufuss chipped in 12 digs, 25 assists, and seven service aces in a standout all-around performance.
The Builders came alive from the service line, finishing with 13 aces as a team, including three in the final two sets. Southwestern's defensive intensity also shined, with 78 digs and nine total blocks compared to Avila's five.
In the deciding fifth set, Southwestern jumped out to a 6-0 lead behind Johnson's two early kills and Blaufuss's steady serving. Avila trimmed the deficit to 11-9, but a huge block from Collier and a late ace from Blaufuss pushed the Builders to match point. Sarah Dippre sealed the comeback with a kill off a perfect set from Likes, capping off the 3-2 victory.
Southwestern finished the night hitting .166 with 53 kills on 175 swings, while holding Avila to a .150 clip. The Builders will look to carry their momentum into the weekend as they continue KCAC on the road.
