Statesmen Battle Hard but Fall to Park in 3-1 Setback

Oskaloosa--The William Penn men's volleyball team displayed resilience but ultimately fell to Park in a 3-1 loss Saturday during a Heart of America Athletic Conference clash. 

The Statesmen (15-10, 12-6 Heart) fought fiercely but were outpaced by the Pirates (18-5, 14-4 Heart), losing by set scores of 25-21, 25-19, 25-14, and 25-21.

In the opening set, the teams were deadlocked at 8-8 before William Penn went on a 4-0 run to take a lead. The Pirates fought back, cutting the deficit to 21-20 with a 7-3 streak, but the Statesmen held strong, closing out the set 25-21 on a 4-1 run.

The second set was tightly contested. WPU led 13-10 before Park surged back, tying the match at 13-13 and ultimately pulling ahead to win 25-19. A 6-2 scoring run from the Pirates late in the set sealed the deal.

Park dominated early in the third set, jumping to an 8-1 lead. Despite a brief 5-4 rally from the Statesmen, the Pirates went on a 6-0 run and finished with a 25-14 victory to take a 2-1 set lead.

William Penn showed resilience in the fourth set, battling back from a 10-7 deficit with six unanswered points to take a 13-10 lead. The teams traded points until Park regained control with a 5-0 run. WPU fought hard, cutting the deficit to 22-21, but Park finished strong with three consecutive points, claiming the final set 25-21.

The Statesmen were outmatched offensively, with Park registering 64 kills compared to WPU's 47, while the Pirates attacked at a .344 rate compared to William Penn's .243. Both teams struggled with attack errors, as WPU posted 19 and Park had 20.

Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) led the offensive charge for William Penn with 13 kills. Andrija Miranovic (So., Podgorica, Montenegro, Business Management) followed with 12, and Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) contributed seven. 

On defense, Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) dished out 39 assists, while João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) led with 12 digs. Cemeno-Castillo and Zell each recorded nine digs.

Beallis contributed five blocks, including one solo and four assists.

"Tough battle today against a really strong opponent," said Head Coach Luke Bentley. "Proud of how hard the guys fought throughout."

Next Up: The Statesmen look to bounce back as they close out their regular season against Heart rival Grand View Tuesday at 7:00 p.m. in the Penn Activity Center.