LAMONI — The William Penn men’s volleyball team dominated from start to finish, delivering a commanding three-set sweep over Graceland in Heart of America Athletic Conference action on Friday.
The Statesmen (8-5, 5-1 Heart) controlled the match with set scores of 25-17, 25-19, and 25-17, overpowering the Yellowjackets (2-10, 0-5 Heart) in all facets of the game.
In the opening set, William Penn quickly seized the momentum, jumping out to a 5-0 lead. Graceland fought back to trim the deficit to 8-6, aided by a 6-3 run, but the Statesmen quickly regained control with an 8-1 surge, pushing the advantage to 16-7. Despite a late rally by the Yellowjackets, who outscored WPU 10-9 over the final stretch, the Statesmen held firm and closed out the set 25-17.
The second set was a more tightly contested affair, with Graceland briefly leading 12-10. However, the Statesmen responded, regaining the lead at 14-13 and steadily pulling away to a 22-16 advantage. The six-point cushion remained as William Penn claimed the set 25-19, securing a commanding 2-0 match lead.
In the third set, the Statesmen quickly asserted themselves with a 10-5 lead. Graceland mounted a brief challenge, but WPU maintained steady control throughout, trading points with the Yellowjackets before finishing the match on a decisive 6-2 run to win 25-17.
William Penn outclassed Graceland in nearly every statistical category, leading in kills (39-23) and posting a .277 hitting percentage compared to the Yellowjackets’ -.009. The Statesmen excelled in efficiency, committing only 11 attack errors, while Graceland struggled with 24.
Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management), Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management), and Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) all led the way with eight kills each.
Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) was the catalyst for the offense, dishing out a match-high 37 assists.
“It’s a great win for our guys, especially on the road,” said Head Coach Luke Bentley. “We’ve been focusing on putting ourselves in good positions, and tonight we did just that.”
