HESSTON, Kan. — The Hesston College volleyball team earned a 3-1 home victory over Central Christian College on Tuesday, Oct. 20, winning 25-13, 21-25, 25-20 and 25-20.
After a strong opening set, the Larks dropped the second before responding with back-to-back set victories to secure the match.
Hesston started efficiently on offense, recording 10 kills with just one error on 23 attempts for a .391 hitting percentage in the opening set. With the score tied at 12, the Larks went on a 13-1 run to close out the set 25-13.
Central Christian responded in the second set. Hesston jumped out to an 8-1 lead, but the Tigers rallied to take an 11-9 advantage. The Larks battled to stay within reach, but Central Christian held on for a 25-21 victory to even the match.
The Larks regained control in the third set, using a six-point run to turn a 10-10 tie into a 16-10 lead. Hesston maintained its advantage, recording 14 kills and hitting .231 before closing out the set 25-20.
The fourth set remained competitive, with Central Christian staying within striking distance late. Hesston built a 21-17 lead before the Tigers scored three consecutive points to cut the margin to one. The Larks answered with four straight points, including two kills from Lydia Foster and a match-ending service ace from Jacee Ray, to secure the 25-20 victory.
Kennedie Esparza led Hesston with 12 kills on a .242 hitting percentage, while Ray contributed nine kills on a .318 hitting percentage, two service aces and four total blocks. Layla Romero added seven kills and three total blocks, while Foster and Delayna Kerry each finished with six kills.
Rebekah Blackmer led the offense with 20 assists, four kills and two service aces. Kerry added 15 assists, 14 digs and four total blocks.
Defensively, Sarahi Paez led the Larks with 18 digs and six assists, while Bethanie Haag contributed 15 digs. Hesston finished with 76 digs and nine total blocks, compared to 66 digs and two blocks for Central Christian.
The Larks recorded 46 kills on a .210 hitting percentage, holding the Tigers to .091. Hesston also finished with six service aces and 44 assists.
The victory improved Hesston's overall record to 13-9.
The Larks will return to action Friday, Oct. 23, at the Arlington Baptist Tri in Arlington, Texas. Hesston will face Southwestern Adventist University at 12:30 p.m. before taking on host Arlington Baptist University at 4:30 p.m.
