2023 Men's Volleyball Season Preview
2022 Record: 23-9, 14-4 Heart, 2nd)
Starters returning/lost: 5/1
Letterwinners returning: 17/2
Notable Returners:
Landon Krause, Jr., Appleton, Wis.
(First-Team All-American, 353 kills, .386 pct., 159 digs)
Ike Papes, Sr., Elwood, Ill.
(Second-Team All-American, 395 kills, .297 pct., 102 digs)
Charlie Figy, Jr., Appleton, Wis.
(Honorable-Mention All-American, 169 kills, .371 pct., 121 blocks)
Eli Herro, Sr., Dousman, Wis.
(Letterwinner, 155 kills, .351 pct., 87 blocks)
Top Newcomers:
Cezar Pedroso, Fr., Curitiba, Brazil
Devyn Zavala, Jr., Long Beach, Calif.
The third season of William Penn men's volleyball saw the program enjoy a tremendous uptick, including its first visit to the NAIA National Championship. With nearly all of his top returners back on the court, Head Coach Luke Bentley is looking to send the Statesmen even deeper this year.
WPU went 23-9 overall and 14-4 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference. The Statesmen finished second in the regular season and also advanced to the Heart Finals.
Headlining the roster are All-Americans Landon Krause (Jr., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management), Ike Papes (Sr., Elwood, Ill., Business Management), and Charlie Figy (Jr., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management). Krause was chosen as the AVCA-NAIA National Player of the Year in 2022.
Outside Hitter
Papes, who garnered Second-Team AVCA-NAIA laurels, was also an NAIA Second-Team All-American. He will once again serve as a heavily-used weapon on the left pin. The senior, has finished each of the last three seasons as the team's leader in kills, managed 395 in 2022. Veteran CJ Rettig (Sr., Sierra Madre, Calif., Physical Education) is also going to be playing a big role on the outside. One of the team's better defenders, Rettig finished last season with 144 kills and 117 digs.
Newcomer Devyn Zavala (Jr., Long Beach, Calif.) and returner Luke Scheuble (Sr., Hemet, Calif., Wellness and Recreation) will provide depth for WPU as well.
Right Side Hitter
Krause, who was also picked as AVCA-NAIA Newcomer of the Year, was a First-Team All-American from the NAIA. He will attempt to build off his incredible first year in the navy and gold where he tallied 353 kills on a nation-best .386 attack clip; the junior also managed with 159 digs and 66 blocks.
Anthony Torres (Jr., Aurora, Ill., Computer Science) will also be a big part of the rotation. Torres is one of the better servers on the team, tallying 29 aces a season ago.
Middle Hitter
The Statesmen hope to possess one of the best middle-hitting duos in not only the Heart, but the NAIA with Figy and Eli Herro (Sr., Dousman, Wis., Business Management). Figy, who was an AVCA-NAIA Honorable-Mention All-American as well as first team all-Heart recipient, was third on the team in kills with 169 (.371 hitting clip), but more importantly guided WPU with 121 blocks. Herro finished 2022 with 155 kills (.351) and 87 blocks.
Setter
After sitting in the wings the past few years, Matt Helmick (Jr., Fullerton, Calif., Business Management) is ready for his chance to shine. He posted 105 assists and 16 digs last year, but will be getting a strong push from freshman Cezar Pedroso (Curitiba, Brazil).
Libero
Carlos Garcia (Jr., Laredo, Texas, Biology) returns as the lead libero for the Statesmen after topping William Penn with 209 digs last spring.
Conference/Schedule
The Heart should once again be a stacked men's volleyball league. Defending national champion Grand View enters the season at #1, while WPU is #5. Three other Heart programs are also ranked in the NAIA's top 15.
The Statesmen have 11 home matches set for this year and open their season this Thursday at home against #10 Indiana Tech. It is part of a grueling non-conference schedule that will prepare the navy and gold for an equally-intense Heart slate. Conference action begins on January 31 with a road bout at #8 Park.