Statesmen Secure Shutout Victory Over No. 7 Grand View to Close Out Regular Season

Oskaloosa--The Statesmen men's volleyball team wrapped up their regular season with a thrilling 3-0 victory over No. 7 Grand View in a Heart of America Athletic Conference rivalry matchup on Tuesday evening.

William Penn (16-10, 13-6 Heart) dominated the Vikings (16-6, 14-5 Heart) with set scores of 25-21, 25-23, and 25-14, delivering an impressive upset victory. 

The win solidified their position as the No. 6 seed in the upcoming Heart of America Athletic Conference quarterfinals, where they will face off against No. 3-seeded Mount Mercy, a team that has defeated the Statesmen twice earlier this season.

In the opening set, both teams traded points back and forth, reaching a 13-13 tie before the Statesmen broke through with a 16-13 lead. Grand View managed to close the gap to 20-19, but William Penn responded with a 5-2 run to close out the set 25-21.

The Statesmen hit at a .257 attack rate in the first set and improved to .333 in the second.

The second set saw the Vikings briefly hold an 11-10 lead before going on an 8-2 run to gain control. However, the Statesmen refused to back down, launching a decisive 10-2 run to take a 23-21 lead. Grand View could not recover, and the Statesmen sealed the set 25-23.

In the third and final set, William Penn took an early 7-5 lead, then exploded on a 7-1 run that pushed them to a commanding advantage. The Vikings briefly traded points, but the Statesmen finished strong, closing out the match with a 25-14 victory. William Penn's offensive power was on full display, hitting over .400 in the final set.

For the match, the Statesmen narrowly edged out Grand View in kills, 40-39, and posted a .322 hitting percentage compared to the Vikings' .137. The Statesmen also capitalized on their opponent's mistakes, committing only 12 attack errors to Grand View's 25.

Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) led the Statesmen with 12 kills. Josh Bluhm (Fr., Lockport, Ill., Software Engineering) was right behind with 8 kills, while Andrija Miranovic (So., Podgorica, Montenegro, Business Management) added 7. Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) and Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) each contributed 6 kills at a .556 and .629 attack clip, respectively.

Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) directed the offense with 35 assists, while he anchored the defense with 9 digs. Tommy Fellows (Fr., Shorewood, Ill., Exercise Science) and João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) were key contributors in the back row, recording 8 and 7 digs, respectively.

Defensively, the Statesmen tallied 9 blocks, with Beallis leading the charge, recording 5 blocks, including 1 solo and 4 assists. Brinkman also had a solid defensive performance, adding 4 block assists to the team's total.

"What a night for us! Super proud of our guys to finish their careers at home with a win," said Head Coach Luke Bentley. "Great team effort all around."

Next Up: The Statesmen travel to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, to face Mount Mercy in the Heart of America Athletic Conference Quarterfinals Saturday at 2 p.m.