WINFIELD, Kan. - Hesston College fell in straight sets to Southwestern in Winfield, Kan., on Tuesday evening, 16-25, 11-25, 16-25. The Larks struggled to find offensive rhythm, hitting -.021 as a team with 21 kills against 23 errors on 97 attempts. Lydia Foster led the attack with 5 kills on a .300 hitting percentage and added a solo block. Layla Romero also tallied 5 kills, while Audrey Garrison contributed 4 kills and a team-high 8 assists. Defensively, libero Kadence Taylor anchored the back row with 16 digs, supported by 4 digs from Se'Maiya Farrow and 3 apiece from Marisa Branch, Romero and Tanna Owens.

The opening set saw Hesston hang close early before Southwestern pulled away behind a balanced offense and .265 hitting clip. In set two, the Moundbuilders surged ahead quickly, fueled by a .444 hitting percentage and a perfect 12-1 start that left the Larks playing catch-up. The third set mirrored the first, with Hesston trading points in the early going before Southwestern used a mid-set run to close out the match. Southwestern's Autumn Bennett was dominant at the net, finishing with 12 kills on .750 hitting, while setter Natalie Blaufuss dished out 20 assists to direct an efficient attack.

The Larks will compete at the Friend University Invitational over the weekend (9/5-9/6) where they will take on Southwestern, Crowley's Ridge and Friends.