William Penn Dispatches Second Set of Vikings in Another Sweep
Marshall, Mo.–Ike Papes (Jr., Elwood, Ill., Business Management) produced at career-high like levels and the Statesmen men’s volleyball team took its broomsticks on the road with a 3-0 sweep over #11 Missouri Valley in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Friday.
#5 WPU (8-1, 7-0 Heart), which won by scores of 25-14, 25-16, 25-23, extended its winning streak to seven matches. The navy and gold also notched their fifth top-15 victory of the season and their second of the week, having also swept #1 Grand View Tuesday.
The Statesmen were forced to reconfigure their lineup due to the absence of middle hitter Charlie Figy (So., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management). The result was spectacular as the visitors outhit MVC .456-.182, including a 41-29 advantage in kills.
If any skeptics were wondering how the Statesmen would respond to playing their first road bout since January 21 (the team’s only loss of the season against Quincy), they were quieted immediately as WPU scored the night’s first five points, including three kills by Papes and an ace by Connor Muff (Sr., Kenosha, Wis., Business Management). It was one of six aces for William Penn on the night.
The Vikings (7-3, 2-2 Heart) collected themselves, though, and rallied to make it 12-6, but winners from Papes and Eli Herro (Jr., Dousman, Wis., Business Management) put the navy and gold back in control. Papes eventually closed out the opening set the way it started with another kill, giving him eight in the first go-round.
WPU again gathered the early lead in Set #2 and refused to relinquish it. Missouri Valley attempted to keep it close, drawing within two at 8-6, but the Statesmen reeled off seven of the next nine points and cruised to the 2-0 edge. Papes was good for another six terminations, while Landon Krause (So., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management) added three.
In completing a very rare wire-to-wire victory, the Statesmen again went out on top in the third set and never faced a deficit. Fighting to stay alive, the Vikings did not make it easy, however, as the teams exchanged points for most of the first half of the final set.
Ahead 9-8, William Penn produced a mini 7-2 to gain some separation, and it remained a solid cushion for the Statesmen until the very end. Up 22-16, the visiting crew allowed MVC to get within two and finally one at 24-23.
Keeping their faith in the outside hitter who had led them all night, the Statesmen relied on Papes to finish it off and he did with the final kill.
It is William Penn’s fifth sweep of the season, matching the total numbers of 3-0 wins the program had in its first two years of existence combined.
Papes ended up with 19 kills and just two errors on only 25 total attempts for a gaudy .680 attack clip. The sophomore managed one ace, two digs, and one block assist as well.
After a slow start, Krause got into the mix, just missing double digits with nine kills, while also serving up a team-high three aces and guiding the defensive net effort with one solo block and six block assists.
Overall, the Statesmen managed eight team blocks on the Vikings with Anthony Torres (So., Aurora, Ill., Computer Science) also performing a big role in the defensive wall with four block assists.
CJ Rettig (Jr., Sierra Madre, Calif., Physical Education) was a strong complement with six kills (.444 attack %) and four digs, while Herro ended up with four kills (.500 attack %).
Muff was masterful in his ball distribution, posting 37 assists overall in addition to two aces. Carlos Garcia (Jr., Laredo, Texas, Nursing) headlined the back-row defense with six digs.
“It is never easy winning on the road, but our guys continue to be relentless,” Head Coach Luke Bentley said. “This was an incredible effort from this group. I am just so proud.”
Next Up: WPU travels to Canton, Mo. Saturday to face Culver-Stockton in Heart action at 1 p.m.
