OSKALOOSA, Iowa — Southwestern volleyball will be on the road this weekend, traveling to Oskaloosa for the Labor Day Tournament hosted by William Penn University. The Builders will open play Friday at 3 p.m. against Dordt University, followed by a 7 p.m. matchup with Mount Marty University.
Southwestern (1-3) looks to bounce back after a tough opening stretch in which the Builders dropped matches to John Brown and Texas A&M–Texarkana, but showed promise in a sweep of Philander Smith (Ark.).
Southwestern is led offensively by senior outside hitter Mikki Johnson, who paces the team with 47 kills (3.13 per set). Ashlyn Tag adds another strong option on the attack with 37 kills (2.47 per set), while Macey Collier has chipped in 20 kills at a .405 hitting clip.
At the net, Collier and Tag have combined for 13 total blocks, with Collier averaging 0.73 per set. Setter Reece Likes runs the offense, averaging 4.40 assists per set, while libero Avery Riedel anchors the defense with a team-high 55 digs (3.67 per set). From the service line, Johnson leads with eight aces, followed closely by Likes with six.
Dordt (3-1) enters with momentum after early neutral-site wins over Benedictine Mesa, Embry-Riddle (Ariz.), and Life Pacific. Junior outside hitter Laney Wolfswinkel has been the top option, leading the Defenders with 48 kills (3.20 per set). Tarren Spartz (40 kills, 2.86 per set) and Haley Kuperus (34 kills, .276 hitting percentage) add balance to the attack.
Defensively, Kylie Beckering averages 3.27 digs per set, while Wolfswinkel and Spartz also contribute on the back line. Dordt is averaging 14.1 digs per set as a team.
Mount Marty (3-1) also opened the year strong, riding a .260 team hitting percentage while holding opponents to just .056. The Lancers have been efficient on the attack, averaging more than 10 kills per set while also producing 2.19 blocks per set.
Friday's matches will give Southwestern another chance to sharpen its play against quality NAIA opponents before the heart of the schedule. With Johnson leading the attack and Riedel controlling the back row, the Lady Builders will look to turn early-season lessons into progress on the road.
