Southwestern Community College Spartans Volleyball faced a challenging doubleheader against Graceland University on Thursday night, splitting the results with one victory and one loss. Under Head Coach Brianna Maitlen, the team demonstrated resilience and strong performances across both matches.

In the first match, Southwestern edged out Graceland's JV squad with a hard-fought 2-1 victory. The Spartans dropped the first set 19-25 but rallied back to win the next two sets 25-18 and 16-14. Skyelar Lawal led the defensive effort with several key blocks, while Emily Strait anchored the defense with a match-high 20 digs. Setter Cadence Perkins orchestrated the offense, dishing out assists to keep the Spartans in control.

The second match of the night saw the Spartans battle Graceland's C-team, but this time the result went in favor of the home side. Southwestern fell 2-1, taking the second set 25-8 after a tight opening set that ended 26-24 in Graceland's favor. Despite the tough loss, several standout performances were recorded. Whitney Hollins led the offense with 7 kills, while Skyelar Lawal continued her strong defensive play with 3 solo blocks and 2 assisted blocks. Emily Strait once again shined in the back row, recording 20 digs for the second match in a row.

Coach Maitlen praised her team's effort but emphasized the need for consistency across matches. "We fought hard, especially in the first match, but we need to find that same energy and execution in both games. I'm proud of how we battled, especially our defensive effort," Maitlen said.

The Spartans will look to build on their win as they prepare for their next match on the road.