WPU on Short End Against MNU

Olathe, Kan.–The Statesmen women’s volleyball team was unable to hand MidAmerica Nazarene its first loss of the season, falling 3-0 in a Heart of America Athletic Conference bout Saturday.

William Penn (8-9, 4-3 Heart), which lost by scores of 15-25, 18-25, 17-25, lost the hitting battle .459-.118.

The visitors dug themselves a huge hole in the opening set and never recovered. The start to the second set was much more favorable with William Penn tallying the first two points and going up 5-3. Unfortunately, the Pioneers (14-0, 7-0 Heart) rallied with six of the next seven points and did not trail again.

The Statesmen were down by as many as six points in the second set before an ace by Cecily Liphardt (Sr., Lincoln, Neb., Psychology and Business Management) propelled them to four unanswered points. MidAmerica Nazarene countered right back, though, with four points of its own and cruised to the 2-0 edge. WPU tallied three of its five total aces in the second round.

WPU led once in the third set at 3-2 and was still battling as it faced a 10-8 deficit. Unfortunately, the visiting crew could never reel in the still-undefeated Pioneers as it was swept for the second time on the weekend.

In an afternoon where little went right, Katlyn Jeter (So., Solon, Iowa, Business Management) led WPU with nine kills, but it was Andressa Borges (So., Sao Paulo, Brazil, Sports Management) who was the most effective hitter with eight kills at a gawdy .500 clip.

Corrin Lepper (Sr., Jefferson City, Mo., Biology) was next with five winners. Macy Bailey (Sr., Bondurant, Iowa, Business Management) topped the setters with 13 assists, while Caidince Cleveland (So., Bettendorf, Iowa, General Accounting) tallied two aces.

Cleveland and Liphardt both recorded six digs Saturday to guide the defensive effort.

Next Up: William Penn travels to Des Moines next Tuesday to face Grand View in Heart play at 7 p.m.