WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College returns to Stewart Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Oct. 7, for a KCAC matchup against Avila University.
Southwestern (6-10) (0-5), while Avila comes to Winfield (12-11) (2-2). The Moundbuilders are 2-2 at home this season, while the Eagles are 5-6 in road matches.
Southwestern will look to build on the momentum of its 3-0 victory over Randall University on Oct. 5. The Moundbuilders swept the Saints 25-17, 25-20, 25-22, giving Southwestern its second home victory of the season.
Offensively, Southwestern has recorded 643 kills through 60 sets, averaging 10.72 kills per set while hitting .134 as a team. The Moundbuilders have also totaled 590 assists, 120 service aces and 886 digs.
Mikki Johnson has been one of Southwestern's most productive attackers, totaling 103 kills while averaging 2.86 kills per set. Charli Richardson leads the team with 113 kills and averages 2.13 kills per set. Kamryn Deffebaugh has contributed 87 kills, while Haleigh Weber has 73 kills and a .229 hitting percentage.
Natalie Blaufuss has directed much of the Southwestern offense with 284 assists, averaging 4.73 assists per set. She has also been a major threat from the service line with a team-high 34 aces. Ayden Joely-Petroff has added 123 assists and 21 aces.
Defensively, Brooklyn Milleson leads the Moundbuilders with 229 digs and averages 3.82 digs per set. Ariel Heinrich has added 133 digs, while Richardson has collected 104. At the net, Weber leads Southwestern with 28 total blocks.
Southwestern's style has relied heavily on pressure from the service line and contributions from multiple attackers. The Moundbuilders are averaging 2.00 aces per set, giving them an opportunity to disrupt opposing offenses before they can establish their attack. Southwestern has also shown the ability to spread its offense among Johnson, Richardson, Deffebaugh, Weber and others rather than depending on one primary hitter.
Avila enters Wednesday's matchup averaging 10.70 kills per set while hitting .138 as a team. The Eagles have totaled 899 kills, 853 assists, 177 service aces and 1,401 digs through 84 sets.
Megan Davies leads the Avila attack with 222 kills and averages 2.64 kills per set. Maddie Jones follows with 161 kills, while Bryleigh Martin has recorded 145 kills and leads Avila's primary attackers with a .296 hitting percentage. Payton Hofer has added 97 kills, and Kaylee McClanahan has contributed 101.
Avila uses a balanced setting system led by Isabella Byrd and Sydney Martin. Byrd has totaled 419 assists and averages 4.99 per set, while Martin has recorded 292 assists. Byrd also leads the Eagles with 42 service aces.
Defensively, Sophia Giorgio has been a major factor for Avila with 378 digs, averaging 4.50 per set. Avry Dunn has added 239 digs, while Byrd has 191. At the net, Bryleigh Martin leads the Eagles with 79 total blocks, including 13 solo blocks and 66 block assists.
Avila's strength comes from its balance and defensive consistency. The Eagles average 16.68 digs per set and 1.61 blocks per set, allowing them to extend rallies and make opponents earn points. Their serving has also been effective, with 177 aces and an average of 2.11 aces per set.
Wednesday's match could be determined by Southwestern's ability to serve aggressively while limiting Avila's defensive opportunities. The Moundbuilders will look to use their service pressure to keep the Eagles out of system, while Avila will try to rely on its back-row defense and blocking to slow Southwestern's attack.
The two programs last met Oct. 8, 2025, in Kansas City, Mo., where Southwestern rallied from a two-set deficit to defeat Avila in five sets. The Moundbuilders dropped the opening two sets 25-23 and 25-22 before responding with victories of 25-18, 25-19 and 15-12.
Johnson led Southwestern in that meeting with 22 kills and a .353 hitting percentage. Natalie Blaufuss had 50 assists, while Southwestern finished with 13 service aces in the five-set victory.
Southwestern will look to carry its recent momentum into Wednesday's conference matchup as the Moundbuilders host Avila University at Stewart Fieldhouse. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
