WINFIELD, Kan. — Southwestern College will look to earn its first KCAC victory of the season when the Moundbuilders host the Tabor College Bluejays on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Stewart Fieldhouse.
Southwestern (6-11) (0-6), while Tabor comes to Winfield at (7-12) (1-4).
The Moundbuilders will look to bounce back following a three-set loss to Avila University on Wednesday. Despite the setback, Southwestern showed offensive production throughout the match, recording 38 kills, led by Charli Richardson with 11 and Haleigh Weber with seven.
Southwestern has totaled 681 kills through 63 sets this season, averaging 10.81 kills per set with a .133 hitting percentage. The Moundbuilders have also recorded 619 assists, 123 service aces, 923 digs and 72 total blocks.
Richardson leads Southwestern offensively with 124 kills, averaging 2.21 per set. Mikki Johnson follows with 109 kills and a team-high 2.79 kills per set, while Kamryn Deffebaugh has contributed 89 kills. Weber has added 80 kills and leads the team's regular attackers with a .234 hitting percentage.
Natalie Blaufuss continues to direct the Southwestern offense with 302 assists, averaging 4.79 per set. She also leads the team with 35 service aces and has contributed 118 digs. Ayden Joely-Petroff has added 131 assists, 51 kills and 21 aces.
Defensively, Brooklyn Milleson leads the Moundbuilders with 243 digs, averaging 3.86 per set. Ariel Heinrich follows with 135 digs, while Richardson has collected 110. At the net, Weber leads Southwestern with 31 total blocks, followed by Macey Collier with 25.
Southwestern's offensive approach relies on contributions from several attackers and aggressive serving to create scoring opportunities. The Moundbuilders average 1.95 service aces per set, giving them an opportunity to disrupt opposing offenses and force difficult passes.
The Builders will look to improve their offensive efficiency and limit errors against a Tabor team that has also experienced challenges in conference play. Southwestern's ability to establish consistent attacks through Richardson, Johnson and Weber could be important in controlling the pace of Saturday's matchup.
Tabor enters the contest averaging 10.31 kills per set while hitting .135 as a team. The Bluejays have recorded 691 kills, 641 assists, 121 service aces, 1,053 digs and 78 total blocks through 67 sets.
Esther Nederveen leads Tabor's offensive attack with 213 kills, averaging 3.38 per set. Kingzley Ratzlaff follows with 131 kills and a .180 hitting percentage, while Josephine Fuamatu has contributed 51 kills.
Annerieke Nederveen directs the Bluejays' offense with 459 assists, averaging 7.78 per set. She has also added 130 digs and 10 service aces.
Tabor has several players who contribute from the service line, including Fuamatu with a team-high 23 aces, Jaci Maxfield with 20 and Olivia Lazenby with 19.
Defensively, Fuamatu leads the Bluejays with 161 digs, followed by Esther Nederveen with 150 and Lazenby with 147. Esther Nederveen also leads Tabor at the net with 35 total blocks, while Maxfield has contributed 29.
Tabor's strengths center on its offensive production through Esther Nederveen and its ability to extend rallies defensively. The Bluejays average 15.72 digs per set and 1.16 blocks per set, making their back-row defense an important part of their playing style.
The Bluejays will look to establish their offense through Nederveen while using their defensive coverage to create additional attacking opportunities. Tabor has also demonstrated its ability to apply pressure from the service line, averaging 1.81 aces per set.
Both teams enter Saturday looking to improve their conference standings. Tabor is coming off a four-set loss to Kansas Wesleyan on Oct. 6, while Southwestern will look to capitalize on its home-court advantage.
The matchup features two teams with similar offensive production. Southwestern averages 10.81 kills per set compared with Tabor's 10.31, while both teams have nearly identical hitting percentages.
Southwestern holds a slight advantage in service aces per set, while Tabor has the edge in digs and blocks per set. The Moundbuilders will look to use their serving and balanced attack to challenge Tabor's defense, while the Bluejays will attempt to establish their offense and control longer rallies.
The two programs last met Oct. 11, 2025, when Tabor defeated Southwestern in four sets, 25-23, 25-15, 27-29, 25-19.
Southwestern battled throughout the previous meeting, including a 29-27 victory in the third set to extend the match.
Saturday's matchup provides Southwestern an opportunity to avenge last season's loss and secure its first conference victory of the year.
The Moundbuilders will host the Tabor College Bluejays on Saturday, Oct. 10, at Stewart Fieldhouse in Winfield, Kan. First serve is scheduled for 1 p.m.
