McPHERSON, Kan. — Southwestern College volleyball fell to McPherson College in straight sets Saturday, Oct. 17, dropping a 3-0 decision (17-25, 15-25, 11-25) in KCAC action at Holman Fieldhouse.
The Moundbuilders battled against a strong McPherson offense, finishing with 25 kills, 24 assists, 20 digs and four blocks.
McPherson established control early in the opening set, jumping to an 11-3 advantage behind aggressive serving and efficient attacking. Southwestern responded with contributions from Haleigh Weber, Ayden Joely Petroff and Charli Richardson. The Moundbuilders later put together a three-point run to cut the deficit to 20-15, but the Bulldogs maintained their advantage to secure the set 25-17.
Southwestern continued battling in the second set, with Richardson and Mikki Johnson providing offensive production. Joely-Petroff added several kills, while Kailey Lesquier and Kamryn Deffebaugh combined for a block to help slow McPherson's attack. Kadance Heumann recorded a service ace late in the set, but the Bulldogs pulled away for a 25-15 victory.
The Moundbuilders opened the third set with an early 2-1 lead following a kill from Weber and a solo block by Joely-Petroff. McPherson responded with a five-point run and continued extending its advantage. Despite additional offensive contributions from Johnson, Richardson and Deffebaugh, the Bulldogs closed out the match 25-11.
Joely-Petroff led Southwestern with six kills, six assists and three solo blocks. Richardson and Johnson followed with five kills each, while Weber added four. Natalie Blaufuss directed the offense with 16 assists, and Brooklyn Milleson anchored the defense with nine digs.
McPherson finished with 41 kills and a .413 hitting percentage, compared with Southwestern's .088. Enya Fierens led the Bulldogs with 12 kills, four service aces and three solo blocks, while Havana Olander added nine kills. Tabor Scanlon recorded 22 assists, and Isabella Calle contributed 14 digs.
Southwestern will return to action Wednesday against the Ottawa University Braves at Stewart Fieldhouse in Winfield, Kan. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
