HESSTON, Kan. - Hesston College battled hard at home but ultimately fell in straight sets to Southwestern College, 25-19, 25-21, 28-26.
Southwestern leaned on its front-row power, led by Mikki Johnson who recorded a match-high 17 kills on a .367 hitting percentage while adding three blocks. She was supported by Autumn Bennett (8 kills, 2 blocks) and setter Natalie Blaufuss, who dished out 20 assists and chipped in two service aces. As a team, the Moundbuilders tallied 42 kills, 9 service aces, and 7 blocks, hitting .190 overall. Defensively, libero Avery Riedel anchored the back row with 14 digs.
Hesston showed strong stretches, especially in the third set when the Larks pushed Southwestern into extra points. Lydia Foster was a standout with 9 kills on an efficient .389 hitting clip, while Kennedie Esparza matched her with 9 kills and 2 blocks. Setter Audrey Garrison directed the offense with 28 assists and added 6 digs. Libero Bethanie Haag paced the defense with 15 digs. The Larks finished with 38 kills, 45 digs, and a .180 hitting percentage, but were hindered by 8 service errors against just one ace.
The opening set was a back-and-forth contest early, with Hesston grabbing a 9–6 lead on a Tanna Owens kill and block assist. Southwestern answered with a 9–1 run capped by back-to-back kills from Johnson, pulling away to take the set 25–19. In the second, the Larks again started strong behind Esparza's front-row presence, leading 6–1 before the Moundbuilders regrouped. Southwestern used timely aces from Kalissa Ortega and kills from Bennett to flip momentum, building a lead they held to a 25–21 finish.
The third set was the closest of the day. Hesston surged to a 20–12 advantage after kills from Foster, Esparza, and Owens. Southwestern clawed back behind Johnson, who delivered six kills down the stretch, and Ashlyn Tag, who added a key service ace. The Larks had set point at 26–25 on a Foster kill, but Southwestern rattled off three straight points—two more Johnson kills sealed the 28–26 win and the sweep.
