WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College's volleyball team battled through long rallies and multiple lead changes but came up short in a four-set loss to Bethany College, 3–1 (22–25, 25–19, 26–28, 15–25), in Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference play Saturday at Stewart Fieldhouse.

The Moundbuilders (9–17, 2–9 KCAC) showed resilience after dropping the opening frame, bouncing back to take the second set 25–19 behind steady setting and strong net play. Junior setter Natalie Blaufuss directed the offense with 22 assists, four service aces, and six digs, while Ashlyn Tag fueled the attack with 13 kills on .393 hitting and added an ace and three digs.

Southwestern's offense clicked throughout the night, finishing with 52 kills and a .199 hitting percentage, narrowly trailing Bethany's 53 kills at .194. Macey Collier added 10 kills and three blocks, and Mikki Johnson contributed 10 kills and a team-high 12.5 points. Defensively, libero Avery Riedel anchored the back row with 16 digs, while Kalissa Ortega chipped in 11.

The third set proved pivotal. Southwestern rallied to force extra points at 26–26, but Bethany's Blanca Arciniega Palma closed out back-to-back kills to put the Swedes up two sets to one. In the fourth, Bethany used a 9–3 run midway through the set to pull away for the victory.

Autumn Bennett added 11 kills, and Sarah Dippre hit an impressive .444 with six kills for the Moundbuilders. Reece Likes and Blaufuss combined for 41 of Southwestern's 48 assists, keeping the attack balanced across the front row.

Southwestern finished the match with eight team blocks and eight service aces. Bethany improved to 5–16 (2–9 KCAC) behind a strong performance from Arciniega Palma, who led all hitters with 14 kills and a .333 average.

The Moundbuilders will return to action next week as they host their next KCAC opponent in Winfield, looking to rebound and close the regular season on a high note.