WINFIELD, Kan. — The Southwestern College volleyball team will open its 2026 season Friday, Aug. 28, with a pair of nonconference matches in Parkville, Missouri.
The Builders will begin the day at 2 p.m. against the Hannibal-LaGrange University Trojans before returning to the court at 4 p.m. to face the Wayland Baptist University Pioneers.
Friday will mark the first meeting in program history between Southwestern and both Hannibal-LaGrange and Wayland Baptist.
Southwestern enters the new season looking to build off a 2025 campaign in which the Builders finished 9-19 overall and 2-11 in KCAC play.
The Builders averaged 10.95 kills, 10.38 assists, 2.10 service aces, 14.06 digs and 1.43 blocks per set last season. Southwestern finished with 1,073 kills and 1,017 assists while hitting .150 as a team. One of Southwestern's biggest strengths last season came from the service line. The Builders recorded 206 aces, outpacing their opponents' total of 185. Southwestern also finished with 1,378 digs, compared with 1,344 by its opponents.
The Builders return several players who played significant roles in 2025.
Autumn Bennett led Southwestern's returning offensive production after recording 221 kills in 81 sets. Bennett averaged 2.73 kills per set and hit .247 while also contributing 26 total blocks. Mikki Johnson was another major part of the offense, finishing with 219 kills and averaging 2.67 kills per set. Johnson also collected 74 digs and 25 total blocks while scoring 237 points.
Macey Collier provided one of Southwestern's most efficient options at the net. Collier recorded 146 kills while hitting a team-best .362 among the Builders' primary attackers. She also finished with 42 total blocks, including 11 solo blocks. Natalie Blaufuss played a major role in directing the offense, finishing the season with 436 assists and averaging 4.95 assists per set. She also led Southwestern with 41 service aces and added 133 digs. Haleigh Weber contributed to Southwestern's presence at the net with 49 total blocks, including three solo blocks and 46 block assists. She also recorded 40 kills in 87 sets.
The returning production gives Southwestern experience in several areas of the floor as the Builders prepare to open a new season against two opponents they have never faced.
Hannibal-LaGrange University | 2 p.m.
Hannibal-LaGrange enters the matchup with a 1-1 overall record after opening the season with two home matches. Through eight sets, the Trojans have recorded 77 kills while hitting .130 as a team and averaging 9.63 kills per set.
The Trojans have shown an ability to create pressure from the service line, recording 17 aces for an average of 2.13 per set. That area could make serve receive particularly important for Southwestern, especially after the Builders used serving as one of their own strengths last season.
Summer Zelei has been one of Hannibal-LaGrange's primary offensive options early in the season. Zelei leads the Trojans with 23 kills and averages 2.88 kills per set. Jade Clay follows with 16 kills and has been one of the team's most efficient attackers, posting a .260 hitting percentage. Clay has also been a factor defensively at the net with four solo blocks. Sophia Wallace has added 13 kills in six sets, while Brooke Rocca has contributed 11 kills. Rocca has also been especially productive from the service line, leading Hannibal-LaGrange with 13 aces.
The Trojans' offense has primarily run through setter Delaney Eggemeyer, who has recorded 55 assists and averages 6.88 assists per set. Defensively, Jenna Jobb leads the back row with 31 digs and averages 3.88 per set, while Jillian Millirons has contributed 20 digs.
The early numbers suggest Hannibal-LaGrange is most dangerous when it can disrupt opponents from the service line and create manageable offensive opportunities. The Trojans' 17 aces through eight sets could challenge a Southwestern team looking to establish its passing and offensive rhythm in its first match of the season.
For the Builders, controlling first contact and limiting Hannibal-LaGrange's opportunities from behind the service line could allow Blaufuss and the Southwestern setters to involve multiple attacking options.
Bennett and Johnson give Southwestern experienced offensive threats, while Collier and Weber provide additional options at the net.
Wayland Baptist University | 4 p.m.
Southwestern will have a quick turnaround before facing Wayland Baptist in the second match of the afternoon.
The Pioneers enter Friday's action with a 1-3 record after opening their season with four neutral-site matches. Wayland Baptist earned its first victory with a three-set sweep of Oklahoma Wesleyan on Aug. 21. The Pioneers have also faced LSU Shreveport, Texas A&M-Texarkana and Evangel.
Wayland Baptist has recorded 162 kills through 15 sets, averaging 10.8 kills per set while hitting .106 as a team. The Pioneers have also averaged 17.47 digs per set, making defense one of their more noticeable strengths during the opening stretch of the season.
Deniz Yileri has emerged as Wayland Baptist's leading offensive threat. Yileri has registered 52 kills through 15 sets and averages 3.47 kills per set.
She has also made an impact defensively, recording 52 digs to match her kill total, while adding five service aces. Her ability to contribute in both the front and back rows makes her a player Southwestern will have to account for throughout the match.
Brooklyn Bundy has provided another offensive option with 28 kills, while Lilou Henry-Souquet Bressand has recorded 20. Olivia Ley has added 16 kills while hitting .208.
Ana Zink directs the Pioneers' offense and has collected 97 assists for an average of 8.08 assists per set. Zink has also contributed four service aces.
Wayland Baptist has several players capable of extending rallies defensively. Along with Yileri's 52 digs, Aubrie Sierra has recorded 35 digs and averages 4.38 per set. Milena Alliot-Maslankiewicz and Henry-Souquet Bressand have each added 27 digs.
The Pioneers' early statistics suggest a team that relies on back-row defense and Yileri's production to stay in rallies and generate scoring opportunities.
Wayland Baptist has recorded 262 digs through four matches, but opponents have also been able to find offensive success, hitting .144 against the Pioneers compared with Wayland Baptist's .106 hitting percentage.
Serving could be another key factor in the second match. Wayland Baptist has recorded 22 aces but has also committed 34 service errors. Southwestern, which averaged 2.10 aces per set last season, could look to apply similar pressure while taking advantage of missed serves from the Pioneers.
The matchup could also provide an early test for Southwestern's front-row efficiency. Collier's .362 hitting percentage from last season and Bennett's .247 mark give the Builders experienced hitters who can help capitalize on quality first contacts.
For Southwestern, Friday's doubleheader will provide an early opportunity to establish its identity against two teams that already have regular-season matches behind them.
With returning production at hitter, setter and middle blocker, the Builders will look to turn last season's experience into a strong start to the 2026 campaign.
First serve against Hannibal-LaGrange is scheduled for 2 p.m., followed by the matchup against Wayland Baptist at 4 p.m. in Parkville, Missouri.
