Statesmen Come Up Short in Five-Set Battle Against Arizona Christian

Oskaloosa--The No. 5 William Penn men's volleyball team fought hard but fell just short of a reverse sweep, dropping a five-set thriller to Arizona Christian Saturday.

The Statesmen (2-3) battled back after losing the first two sets but ultimately fell 3-2, with set scores of 20-25, 31-33, 25-18, 25-19, and 16-18. Arizona Christian (1-3) capitalized on key moments, despite WPU holding an edge in several statistical categories. The Firestorm posted a .205 attack percentage, while William Penn improved to a .270 clip.

The opening set saw both teams trade points early, with ACU holding a slim 8-7 lead before igniting a 5-1 run to create separation. WPU stayed within striking distance, but Arizona Christian closed strong to take the frame by five points.

The second set was an extended thriller, with William Penn jumping ahead 10-8 and later stretching its advantage with a 9-2 surge. ACU responded with a 6-2 run and staved off multiple set points before stringing together three straight points to steal the set in dramatic fashion.

Refusing to go down quietly, the Statesmen came out firing in the third set, racing to an 8-2 lead. ACU clawed back with four straight points, but WPU remained in control, pushing its lead to 20-13 and eventually closing out the set to stay alive.

Momentum carried into the fourth, where the teams exchanged early blows before William Penn used a 7-1 surge to take a 15-12 lead. The navy and gold never looked back, forcing a decisive fifth set with a 25-19 victory.

The final frame was a nail-biter, with ACU jumping ahead 4-2 before WPU responded with four unanswered points. The Statesmen led 11-8, forcing an ACU timeout, but the Firestorm rallied to tie the set at 12-12. From there, both squads battled past the 15-point threshold, but a late four-point swing from Arizona Christian secured the hard-fought win.

Despite the loss, William Penn held the statistical edge, leading in kills (73) and hitting efficiency. Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) powered the offense with a stellar 26 kills at a .310 attack percentage. Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) followed with 13 kills at an impressive .407 clip, while Travis Keller (Jr., Spruce Grove, Alberta, Business Management), Josh Bluhm (Fr., Lockport, Ill., Software Engineering), and Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) contributed nine and eight kills, respectively.

Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) orchestrated the offense with an outstanding 60 assists. Defensively, João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) led the team with 15 digs, while Zell and Keller each added 12. Cemeno-Castillo also tallied 11 digs. At the net, WPU recorded 10 blocks, with Beallis leading the way with five (one solo, four assists).

Next Up: William Penn travels to Fort Wayne, Ind., to face Indiana Tech Friday at 6:00 p.m.