PARKVILLE, Mo. — Southwestern College volleyball closed its weekend in Parkville on a high note Saturday, overcoming a two-set deficit to defeat Doane University in five sets after falling to Park University earlier in the day.
The Builders (1-3) earned their first victory of the 2026 season with a 21-25, 19-25, 26-24, 25-20, 15-12 comeback win over Doane. Southwestern finished the match with 50 kills, 82 digs, 11 service aces and seven total blocks while holding the Tigers to a .112 hitting percentage.
Southwestern vs. Park
Southwestern opened Saturday against Park, falling in straight sets, 25-17, 25-17, 25-16. The Builders finished with 23 kills, five service aces, 35 digs and six blocks.
The Builders stayed competitive early in the opening set. Ayden Joely-Petroff recorded back-to-back service aces to give Southwestern a 6-4 advantage, and the teams continued trading points through the middle of the frame. The set was tied at 14 before Park pulled away late, using a run that included consecutive service aces to build a 21-15 advantage before taking the opener.
Southwestern continued to battle in the second set. Mikki Johnson's service ace put the Builders ahead 7-6, and a Haleigh Weber kill gave Southwestern a 9-8 advantage. Park eventually created separation and claimed another 25-17 victory.
The Builders jumped out to a 6-3 advantage in the third behind multiple Johnson kills and a block from Macey Collier and Johnson. Park responded, however, and used a run to take control before completing the sweep.
Johnson and Kamryn Deffebaugh paced the Southwestern attack with seven kills a piece. Johnson hit .278 and added 11 digs, one ace and two block assists, while Deffebaugh added a solo block. Weber contributed four kills on six attempts for a team-best .500 hitting percentage.
Brooklyn Milleson led the back row with 12 digs, while Natalie Blaufuss recorded 14 assists. Joely-Petroff contributed six assists, three service aces, four digs and three block assists. Collier was a force at the net with five block assists.
Southwestern vs. Doane
The Builders responded in the second match with their most complete comeback of the young season.
Doane took control early, winning the first two sets 25-21 and 25-19 to put Southwestern one set away from defeat. The Builders responded in a tightly contested third set.
Southwestern trailed 23-21 late in the third before scoring five of the final six points. The Builders tied the set at 23 and moved ahead 24-23. After Doane tied it at 24, a Tigers service error put Southwestern back in front before an attack error gave the Builders a 26-24 win and extended the match.
Southwestern carried that momentum into the fourth. The Builders opened an 8-2 advantage, highlighted by a kill from Autumn Bennett, a Johnson service ace and a Weber kill. Southwestern maintained the advantage and took the fourth set 25-20 to force a decisive fifth.
The Builders then completed the reverse sweep with a 15-12 victory in the fifth, giving Southwestern its first win of the season. Southwestern was at its most efficient offensively in the deciding set, recording seven kills with only one error on 16 attacks for a .375 hitting percentage.
Johnson delivered an all-around performance in the victory, leading Southwestern with 16 kills while adding a team-high 20 digs, three service aces and two block assists. She finished with 20 points. Bennett was another key part of the attack, putting down 13 kills with just two errors on 35 attempts for a .314 hitting percentage.
Blaufuss directed the offense with 22 assists while adding nine digs and two aces. Joely-Petroff contributed 13 assists and six digs, while Milleson added 19 digs and five assists defensively.
Collier contributed throughout the comeback with five kills, three service aces and a team-high four total blocks, including one solo block. Deffebaugh added eight kills, 13 digs, two aces and two block assists.
After dropping the first two sets, Southwestern's defense helped turn the match around. Doane hit just .114 in the third and fell to minus-.022 in the fourth before the Builders finished the comeback in five.
Southwestern will return to action Friday, Sept. 4, with another pair of matches. The Builders will face Cottey College at 1 p.m. before taking on Philander Smith University at 3:30 p.m..
