WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College volleyball continues its road swing Saturday, Oct. 3, when the Builders travel to North Newton, Kansas, to face Bethel College.
Southwestern enters the conference matchup with a (5-9) (0-4). Bethel enters at (5-6) (3-0).
The Builders are coming off a three-set loss at Oklahoma Wesleyan on Wednesday. Southwestern showed improvement as the match progressed, producing its strongest offensive set in the third with 15 kills and a .205 hitting percentage before narrowly falling 25-23.
Through 54 sets this season, Southwestern has recorded 590 kills and averages 10.93 kills per set while hitting .140. The Builders have also totaled 542 assists, 112 service aces, 810 digs and 60 total blocks.
Mikki Johnson has emerged as one of Southwestern's most productive attackers, averaging a team-high 3.03 kills per set with 91 kills through 30 sets. Charli Richardson leads the Builders with 105 total kills while averaging 2.23 per set and has added 89 digs.
Kamryn Deffebaugh has contributed 81 kills at 1.98 per set, while Haleigh Weber has recorded 60 kills with a .206 hitting percentage. Weber has also been a presence at the net with 24 total blocks.
Natalie Blaufuss continues to direct the offense with a team-high 261 assists, averaging 4.83 per set. She also leads Southwestern from the service line with 30 aces and has contributed 106 digs.
Defensively, Brooklyn Milleson leads the Builders with 213 digs and averages 3.94 per set. Ariel Heinrich has added 124 digs, while Richardson and Blaufuss have provided additional back-row support.
Serving pressure remains one of Southwestern's strengths. The Builders have recorded 112 aces and average 2.07 per set. That ability to create difficult first contacts could be important against a Bethel offense that has several attacking options.
Bethel enters Saturday's match after defeating Sterling in four sets Wednesday. The Threshers have won four consecutive matches, including victories over Haskell, Tabor, Oklahoma Wesleyan and Sterling.
Through 43 sets, Bethel has totaled 493 kills while averaging 11.47 per set and hitting .158. The Threshers have added 466 assists, 66 service aces, 674 digs and 71 total blocks.
Cameron Offerle leads the Bethel attack with 153 kills and averages 3.56 per set. Offerle has also contributed 123 digs and a team-high 19 service aces, giving the Threshers production in multiple areas.
Dylan Cochran has added 82 kills and 122 digs, while Alayna Vines has recorded 78 kills on a .221 hitting percentage. Vines has been Bethel's biggest presence at the net with 46 total blocks, including 11 solo blocks.
Dalaina Schutte directs the Thresher offense with 355 assists and averages 8.26 per set. Schutte has also contributed 40 kills, 86 digs and nine service aces. Abby Koontz leads the defense with 145 digs and averages 4.68 per set.
Bethel's strengths come from its balance and presence at the net. The Threshers average 1.65 blocks per set and have several hitters capable of contributing offensively. Offerle provides a high-volume attacking option, while Vines gives Bethel an efficient presence in the middle.
For Southwestern, establishing offensive consistency and limiting attack errors will be important. The Builders have shown the ability to create points from the service line and will look to use that pressure to disrupt Bethel's offense. Southwestern's back-row defense could also play an important role against a Thresher team averaging more than 11 kills per set.
The two programs last met Oct. 4, 2025, at Stewart Fieldhouse in Winfield. Bethel earned a 3-0 victory with set scores of 25-13, 25-23 and 25-14.
Bethel hit .369 in that meeting and finished with 43 kills compared with 22 for Southwestern.
Saturday's matchup gives Southwestern an opportunity to respond on the road and build on the stretches of improved play it showed against Oklahoma Wesleyan. The Builders will look to use their serving pressure and defensive effort against a Bethel squad that enters the weekend playing some of its strongest volleyball of the season.
First serve is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday at Thresher Gymnasium in North Newton, Kansas.
