LINDSBORG, Kan. — The Southwestern College volleyball team fell to Bethany College in straight sets Saturday, Oct. 31, at Ray D. Hahn Gymnasium in a KCAC matchup.
The Builders (7-16) (0-11 KCAC) dropped the contest 25-18, 25-13, 25-18, despite a competitive third-set effort that saw Southwestern briefly take the lead before Bethany pulled away.
Mikki Johnson led Southwestern offensively with seven kills, while Charli Richardson and Haleigh Weber added six kills apiece. Weber recorded a team-best .214 hitting percentage, and Richardson contributed seven digs. Kamryn Deffebaugh finished with four kills.
Setter Natalie Blaufuss contributed 11 assists, 11 digs and two service aces, while Ayden Joely Petroff added 11 assists. Defensively, Brooklyn Milleson tied Blaufuss for the team lead with 11 digs.
Bethany (9-17) (3-7 KCAC) established control early in the opening set, building an 11-2 advantage behind an aggressive offensive attack. Southwestern responded with contributions from Richardson, Johnson and Deffebaugh, while Blaufuss added a service ace to help the Builders generate momentum. Southwestern scored three consecutive points late in the set to cut the deficit to 24-18 before Bethany secured the 25-18 victory.
The Builders opened the second set with a 2-0 lead following a kill by Weber and a Bethany attack error. However, the Swedes answered with a series of scoring runs, eventually extending their advantage to 18-7. Southwestern continued battling behind kills from Johnson, Richardson and Weber but could not overcome the deficit, falling 25-13.
Southwestern delivered its strongest stretch of the match in the third set, exchanging points with Bethany throughout the opening rallies. A kill by Weber tied the score at 9 before the Builders took a 10-9 lead. Consecutive kills from Johnson helped Southwestern build a 13-10 advantage, giving the Builders their largest lead of the set.
Bethany responded with six consecutive points to regain control at 16-13. Johnson ended the run with another kill, but the Swedes continued extending their lead. Southwestern added late points behind a kill from Weber and a service ace by Blaufuss before Bethany closed out the match 25-18.
Ashlynn Gehring led Bethany with a match-high 14 kills on a .520 hitting percentage, adding 13 digs and two service aces. Josie McLean and Kylee Harris contributed seven kills apiece, while Keylian Gomez Quiles recorded a match-high 15 digs.
Bethany finished with 42 kills and a .262 hitting percentage, compared with Southwestern's 26 kills and .009 hitting percentage. The Swedes also held a 53-44 advantage in digs and recorded four team blocks.
Despite the loss, Southwestern showed resilience in the final set and received contributions from multiple players as the Builders continued their conference schedule.
Southwestern will return to action Wednesday, Nov. 4, when the Builders travel to Wichita, Kan., to face the Friends University Falcons at the Garvey Center. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.
