LAWRENCE, Kan. - Hesston College volleyball fell in straight sets to Haskell on Friday night, with scores of 25-19, 25-19, and 25-21.

In the opening set, Hesston battled back from an early 4-0 deficit with kills from Lydia Foster and Joanna Gomez, eventually pulling even at 5-5. Foster, who led the Larks with 10 kills on the night, kept Hesston close with multiple attacks from setter Audrey Garrison, but Haskell strung together a decisive run midway through the set. Service pressure, including three aces, helped the hosts close it out 25-19.

Set two was a back-and-forth contest featuring nine ties and three lead changes. Hesston leaned on Kennedie Esparza, who contributed six kills on .217 hitting, and middle blocker Tanna Owens, who tallied three blocks and three kills. The Larks tied the frame at 13-13 after a kill from Foster and again at 17-17 following Owens' block, but unforced errors and a late Haskell surge pushed the home side to another 25-19 win.

The third set saw Hesston fight valiantly to extend the match. After trailing 10-2 early, the Larks chipped away with a 6-0 run that included kills from Foster and Esparza and a block by Owens. A service ace from Kadence Taylor brought Hesston within 22-20, but Haskell's strong serving—five aces in the set—proved too much as the hosts secured the 25-21 victory.

Defensively, the Larks were anchored by Taylor, who posted 18 digs, and libero Bethanie Hagg, who added 10. Garrison paced the offense with 24 assists, while Gomez chipped in four kills and eight digs. As a team, Hesston recorded 26 kills, 60 digs, and 4.0 total blocks.

Haskell countered with a balanced attack led by Tressa Jim's 11 kills and 12 digs, along with standout performances from Mya Dalgai (8 kills, .350 hitting) and Kayelani Maiava (7 kills, 16 digs). The Indians out-served Hesston with nine aces and tallied 40 total kills.

The Larks will be back at it on Friday (Sept. 19) as they host Calvary University at 6 p.m.