Two Defeats for MVB in Chicago
Chicago, Ill. — William Penn men’s volleyball played their first of two games in the Windy City Friday night, as they faced the hosting Cougars of Saint Xavier. Falling in straight sets 25-11, 25-20, and 25-15, WPU had to recover quickly to take on Trinity Christian on Saturday. Giving the Trolls all they could, the Statesmen were once again downed in straight sets 25-20, 25-23, and 25-17. The team will fall to 10-14 overall after the two defeats.
Game 1: SXU 3 WPU 0
The first set against the Cougars started even, as Eli Herro (So., Dousman, Wis., Business Management) and Ike Papes (So., Elwood, Ill, Business Management) each produced kills. Herro earned another kill to keep the score level at 4-4 but SXU went on a 6-2 run to take a 10-6 lead.
The hosts then trotted away to a 20-10 lead, with Herro and Papes making a kill each over the run from the Cougars. Papes got the final kill for the Statesmen, as Saint Xavier took set one 25-11.
The second set was also pretty close at the beginning, as Anthony Torres (Fr., Aurora, Ill., Computer Science) put WPU up 2-1. With the match tied 4-4, the front line threw down a block and William Penn would hold a two-point edge for a while.
With the Cougars coming back to tie the game at 11-11, both teams traded points as they marched threw the middle part of the second frame, until the game was tied at 14-14. The Cougars took an 18-16 lead and they quickly extended that gap to 24-19. WPU could not find a run, dropping the second 25-20.
The third period started with a 3-0 run by SXU but a kill from Torres and an ace from Herro cut the deficit to 5-4. But the Cougars leapt away, going on a 6-2 streak to grab an 11-6 advantage. William Penn got a kill from Torres to cut the gap to 16-12 but the team could not get any closer, falling 25-15 to end the match.
William Penn ended the contest with 20 kills and 15 errors. The team made 14 digs and netted three aces along with one solo block. Papes and Herro each had seven kills to lead the team, with Torres adding in four. Connor Muff (Jr., Kenosha, Wis., Business Management) put in two kills along with 16 assists, while Carlos Garcia (So., Laredo, Texas, Biology) made seven digs.
Game 2: TCC 3 WPU 0
The Trolls entered the game receiving votes in the latest coaches’ poll and both teams wanted to move up in the eyes of the NAIA nation. William Penn put up a good fight but fell once more in three sets.
Herro got the first kill of the game for the Statesmen to put the squad up 2-1. Soon down 5-3, Papes and an attack error by the Trolls brought the navy and gold level. Going ahead 6-5 on an ace from Torres, Trinity Christian then leap-frogged back on top 8-6.
The Statesmen continued to trail but a couple more attack errors and a kill from CJ Rettig (So., Sierra Madre, Calif., Physical Education) brought WPU back to even at 14-14. But the Trolls went on a 3-0 run and kept the lead the rest of the way, taking set one 25-20. WPU had eight kills and four errors in 28 attempts in the first set.
The second game started with Papes pounding down a kill to tie the score at 1-1. Tied at 2-2 soon after, the team then forced TCC into some errors, taking a 5-2 lead. They continued to lead behind kills from Torres, Herro, and Papes, with the navy and gold staying ahead 9-7.
Herro kept the two-point gap with a kill to make the score 14-12, but once again, Trinity Christian seized the momentum to take a 17-14 lead. The Statesmen did not back down to the challenge though, as Charlie Figy (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management) put down a kill and Torres delivered an ace to bring the team to within one at 17-16.
The Trolls lumbered away to another three-point lead but back-to-back kills from Papes tied the score at 20-all. Level again at 22-22, the Trolls put down a kill to take the lead but Papes responded in kind. Unfortunately, another kill and an ace for Trinity Christian handed them set two 25-23. William Penn had 14 kills and four errors in 33 attempts in the losing effort.
The third set was quickly controlled by TCC, as they blasted out to a 10-2 lead. WPU were soon down 20-9, but then fought back valiantly, rolling off an 8-3 run. Torres was effective over that span, with a couple of kills along with one from Papes. Despite a few blocks thrown in, the Trolls closed the door on any comeback attempt to take the third 25-17.
The Statesmen had 31 kills and 15 errors in 86 attempts in the match, hitting at a .186 rate. The team had 17 block assists and three aces. Papes led the squad with 12 kills while posting only four errors in the match. Figy produced six kills and Torres five. Muff collected 29 assists and tied Garcia with seven digs to lead the team. Papes and Rettig each had five digs as well.
Next Up: The Statesmen have three conference games left, as they try to make the Heart of America Athletic Conference Tournament. They will next face Missouri Valley on Monday, March 22, at 7 p.m. at the Penn Activity Center.
