WICHITA, Kan. — Southwestern opened the weekend in dominant fashion Friday afternoon, sweeping Hesston in straight sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-16) at a neutral-site match in Wichita.

The Moundbuilders controlled the match with a balanced offensive attack and aggressive serving. Southwestern hit .226 as a team and tallied 12 service aces, while limiting Hesston to a .044 hitting percentage.

Junior outside hitter Autumn Bennett led the way with 11 kills, two solo blocks, and 13 total points. She was joined in double figures by Ashlyn Tag, who posted 11 kills on a .308 attack percentage and added 12 points overall. Freshman setter Natalie Blaufuss directed the offense with 21 assists and chipped in three aces.

Defensively, libero Avery Riedel anchored the back row with 14 digs, while Lauren Broz made her presence felt at the service line, landing five aces. Southwestern also saw strong contributions from Haleigh Weber, who hit .667 with four kills on six swings, and Macey Collier, who added four kills.

Hesston struggled to find rhythm against Southwestern's pressure, finishing with 21 attack errors across three sets. Joanna Gomez led the Larks with eight kills, while Layla Romero added six.

The Builders jumped out to a 7–0 lead in the first set behind Bennett and Weber, never looking back en route to the sweep. Hesston closed the gap in the second set, even leading 11–9, but Southwestern responded with a timely 7–2 run and sealed the frame with back-to-back points from Tag and Broz. In the third, the Builders overcame an early deficit, using five service aces and a balanced attack to put away the match.

Southwestern (3-8) will wrap up play in the Friends Tournament on Saturday against Crowley's Ridge College. Before facing Hesston again next Tuesday on the road on the Larks' home court.