Oskaloosa, Iowa — Southwestern opened play at the William Penn Classic with a straight-set loss to Briar Cliff, 25-20, 25-9, 25-20, before falling to Waldorf 25-16, 25-19, 25-11 on Saturday.

Against Briar Cliff, the Moundbuilders showed stretches of strong play, keeping the first and third sets within reach before late Charger runs sealed the difference. Southwestern finished with 29 kills but was slowed by 26 attack errors, hitting .033 as a team. Freshman middle hitter Macey Collier led the way with nine kills on .538 hitting and added two blocks for 11.5 points. Autumn Bennett chipped in eight kills, while Mikki Johnson recorded five. Setter duo Reece Likes and Natalie Blaufuss combined for 27 assists, with Blaufuss also contributing seven digs. Defensively, libero Avery Riedel reached double digits with 10 digs.

In the second match, Waldorf kept the pressure on from start to finish, forcing the Builders into long rallies and capitalizing on 23 attack errors. Southwestern managed 20 kills but finished with a -.024 hitting percentage. Collier continued to pace the offense with six kills, while Johnson and Ashlyn Tag each added four. Likes handed out 12 assists, and Riedel again anchored the back row with 12 digs.

Despite the losses, Southwestern showed energy in stretches, particularly at the net where Collier and Bennett found rhythm, and in the back row with Riedel's consistent passing. The Builders also collected five service aces on the day, including two in the Briar Cliff match.

Southwestern, now 1-8 overall, will head back home and prepare for their home opener against Hesston College on Tuesday.