The Hesston College volleyball team faced a tough lineup at the Continental Athletic Conference Invitational in Winston-Salem, N.C., Oct. 10–11. The Larks took on Florida National, Fisher College, Florida College and Carolina University, finishing the weekend 1–3.

Match 1 – Florida National 3, Hesston 2 (25-22, 24-26, 25-21, 23-25, 15-12)
Hesston opened with a five-set battle against Florida National that went down to the wire.
The Larks started strong behind sharp serving from Audrey Garrison and kills from Lydia Foster, but Florida National rallied late to take the first set. Hesston bounced back with a 26–24 win in set two thanks to big swings from Layla Romero and a key block by Foster and Lillian Dolberry.

After dropping the third set, the Larks fought off elimination in the fourth, led by Kadence Taylor's 32 digs and Garrison's steady setting. In the final frame, Hesston pulled within one at 13–12 after a Foster kill, but Florida National held on for the win. Foster led with 19 kills on .421 hitting and seven blocks. Garrison added 52 assists and 14 digs, Romero had 12 kills, and Dolberry posted six blocks. The team totaled 62 kills at a .195 clip and out-blocked the Conquistadors 9–3.

Match 2 – Hesston 3, Fisher 1 (25-20, 25-12, 16-25, 25-13)
The Larks rebounded later that day with a solid four-set win over Fisher.
They controlled the pace early with back-to-back aces from Marisa Branch and kills from Foster and Romero. Hesston dominated set two, hitting .317 while holding Fisher to .022. After dropping the third, the Larks closed out the fourth with strong swings from Romero and Foster and a pair of Kennedie Esparza blocks. Foster finished with 12 kills on .357 hitting, Romero added 10 kills, and Garrison dished out 43 assists. Taylor led the defense again with 32 digs, and Bethanie Haag chipped in 18. The Larks totaled 48 kills, 99 digs and hit .209 as a team.

Match 3 – Florida College 3, Hesston 0 (25-19, 25-8, 25-21)
Hesston ran into a hot Florida College team in their first match on day two.
The Larks kept it close early, tying the score several times in the opening set before the Falcons pulled away. Florida College took advantage of Hesston errors to claim the next two sets. Foster and Romero led with six kills each, Garrison recorded 20 assists, and Haag and Taylor combined for 19 digs. The Larks finished with 23 kills on .037 hitting but showed improved serve-receive late in the match.

Match 4 – Carolina 3, Hesston 1 (25-12, 18-25, 25-18, 25-18)
In their final match, Hesston battled host Carolina University in another four-set contest.
Carolina took the first set, but the Larks answered with a strong 25–18 win in the second behind Dolberry, Romero, and a timely Foster ace. Despite long rallies and Taylor's 30 digs, Carolina took control in the final two sets. Romero and Dolberry had 10 kills each, Foster and Esparza added eight, and Garrison handed out 32 assists. The Larks tallied 40 kills, 77 digs and eight total blocks.

Weekend Summary
Hesston finished 1–3 but showed progress throughout the weekend. Foster averaged more than 3.5 kills per set, Taylor surpassed 100 digs, and Garrison kept the offense running smoothly. Dolberry and Foster provided strong net play as the team continued to build momentum.
The Larks will return to action Oct. 16 at Central Christian Bible College in Moberly, Mo.