Upset Over Perennial Power Highlights WPU’s Final Day of Regular Season
Atchison, Kan.–The Statesmen women’s volleyball team claimed one of its biggest victories in recent history as it concluded its regular season with a pair of road matches at a triangular hosted by Benedictine Friday.
William Penn (14-7, 8-4 Heart) opened the day with a 3-1 loss to the host Ravens (14-25, 25-21, 18-25, 23-25) before rebounding for a huge 3-1 win over Columbia (13-25, 25-14, 25-22, 25-19). Columbia was ranked #18 in the NAIA’s final top-25 poll last year (no polls have yet been released this year). The upset handed the Cougars (10-2) just their second setback of the fall.
BC 3, WPU 1
The visitors were outhit just .227-.172, including improving their attacking marks in every set against Benedictine (8-7).
After never leading in the opening set, WPU responded and trailed just once in the second go-round. With the score tied 20-20, the navy and gold reeled off five of the last six points to even the match.
The third set featured several runs with the squads knotted up at 14-14 before the Ravens managed six consecutive points to go ahead 2-1 on the evening. The fourth and final set was a back-and-forth affair, but the home team closed just a bit stronger with three of the last four points for the victory.
Kianna Childers (Sr., Copperas Cove, Texas, Psychology) nearly single-handedly kept WPU in the match with 20 kills on a .269 hitting percentage.
Symone Jopp (Fr., Mayer, Minn., Business Management) was next with seven kills, while Alicia Jaquez (Sr., Farmington, N.M., Biology) added six more winners. Asarar Gony (Sr., Omaha, Neb., Political Science) was good for five kills as well.
Annalise Whitcomb (Sr., Humboldt, Kan., General Accounting) took over primary setting responsibilities with 23 assists, while Cameryn Campbell (Sr., Jefferson City, Mo., Elementary Education) and Tori Martin (Fr., Jefferson City, Mo., Elementary Education) topped the back row with 14 and 13 assists, respectively.
Jopp, Gony, and Alyssa Young (So., Winter Springs, Fla., Biology) all managed three block assists in the loss.
WPU 3, CC 1
Despite its offensive improvement in every set in the opener, William Penn could not transfer that momentum into its start versus the Cougars as it was outhit .364-.000.
Then everything suddenly changed in the second go-round as the Statesmen bettered their mark to .222, while Columbia experienced a massive dip to -.242 with just five kills and 13 errors.
It appeared the Statesmen were set to fall behind again as they faced several four-point deficits in the third, but down 16-12, the team rallied with six of the next seven points to take the lead. Once again behind 20-18, WPU closed strong with a 5-1 run and eventually secured the 2-1 advantage.
The navy and gold refused to let off the gas in the fourth and shocked the Cougars, outhitting them .229-.107 by match’s end.
William Penn ended up with six fewer kills (47-41), but was much most controlled than its foe with 16 fewer errors (33-17).
Childers once again topped the hitters with 11 kills, while Gony and Peyton Foster (Jr., Graham, Wash., Business Management) had the most efficient nights as they finished with eight and seven kills, respectively. Gony hit .467 with only one error in the victory and Foster was at .294 with two errors.
Jaquez tallied six more winners.
Whitcomb handled a majority of the setting with 15 assists, while Makaila Winward (Fr., St. Louis Park, Minn., Psychology) was close behind with 10 helpers.
Campbell’s 10 digs were a squad best, while Gony stepped up at the defensive net with a team-high five blocks. Three other players also recorded multiple blocks.
“We had an incredible bounce-back against Columbia,” Head Coach Aleesha Cleaver said. “They are one of the toughest teams we have faced to date this year and the ladies just took full advantage. They were so in-sync and really just played off one another so well. Defensively, our block touched so many of their swings and if our block did not get it, our back row covered a lot of ground. I am so proud and happy for our ladies. This is a great confidence boost going into the post-season!”
Next Up: William Penn now awaits its quarterfinal opponent for the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament. The team will be on the road next Saturday against a program from the South Division.
