Fayette, MO – The Bethel (KS) volleyball team faced a challenging weekend at the Fayette Invitational, taking on three tough opponents over two days. The Threshers opened with a hard-fought loss to Columbia (MO), bounced back against Texas A&M Texarkana, and then wrapped up with a five-set thriller against Central Methodist.

Columbia Stifles Bethel in Four Sets

The first match of the weekend and the Threshers falling in four sets (17-25, 25-21, 17-25, 24-26) to #18 Columbia College. Bethel's key players included Cameron Offerle, who delivered 13 kills with a .258 hitting percentage, and Darla Crow, who added 7 kills and 4 blocks. 

Despite a second-set victory and several lead changes in the fourth, Bethel couldn't pull through, succumbing in a closely contested final set.

Threshers Bounce Back with a Win Against Texarkana

They then, on Saturday, took on Texas A&M Texarkana (for the second time in a week), where the Threshers rebounded with a hard-fought 3-1 victory (25-22, 26-24, 18-25, 25-15). This win marked an impressive performance for Laci Ownbey, who led Bethel with 19 kills, hitting .278 for the match. Cameron Offerle added 13 kills and 18 digs, while Darla Crow contributed both offensively and defensively with 7 kills and 5 blocks.

The Threshers' serve-receive steadied after early struggles, and  Bethel closed out the match strong in the fourth set, dominating Texarkana 25-15.

Five-Set Thriller Slips Away Against Central Methodist

Later that day, they faced #19 Central Methodist in a match that stretched to five sets (25-18, 26-24, 22-25, 21-25, 10-15), but the Threshers fell just short of securing back-to-back wins. Cameron Offerle once again led the attack with 19 kills, while Laci Ownbey added 18 kills in the closely contested match.

Bethel took the first two sets but struggled in the final three as Central Methodist found their rhythm.  Despite a great effort, Bethel couldn't finish the fifth set, concluding the day with a 9-5 record.