WPU Upended by Missouri Valley in Five Sets
Marshall, Mo.–The Statesmen men’s volleyball team could not close the door on the road as it fell 3-2 to Missouri Valley in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Friday.
#5 WPU (6-2, 1-1 Heart) fell by scores of 25-19, 22-25, 25-18, 23-25, 8-15. The navy and gold, who were outhit .237-.223, struggled against a strong MVC defense that posted a 17-9 blocking edge over the Statesmen.
Down 4-2 early in the first set, the visitors scored seven of the next eight points and never trailed again. Another 5-0 run put the set out of reach.
Unfortunately, Missouri Valley, which is now a perfect 7-0 on the year (2-0 Heart) answered right back. With the set knotted at 20-20, the Vikings closed stronger to even the match.
WPU came out slow in the third round, trailing 10-7, but caught fire with a 10-2 run that featured three kills from Britten Beallis (So., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) to go up 2-1.
Although the visiting crew outhit Missouri Valley .257-.174 in the fourth set, William Penn could not finish the match. Clinging to a 21-20 edge, the Statesmen permitted a pair of two-point runs and were forced into a fifth and deciding set for the first time this season.
The Vikings unfortunately carried the momentum from the fourth set and ran away with the final round, winning nine of the opening 10 points and cruising to the upset.
Four different Statesmen reached double figures in kills, led by Ike Papes (Sr., Elwood, Ill., Sports Management) with 19 kills, while Landon Krause (Sr., Appleton, Wis., Business Management) was right behind him with 18 winners.
Devyn Zavala (Sr., Long Beach, Calif., Wellness and Recreation) was next with 15 kills, while Charlie Figy (Sr., Appleton, Wis., Secondary Education PE K-12) contributed 10 on a very effective .667 hitting clip.
Matt Helmick (Sr., Fullerton, Calif., Business Management) tallied 59 assists–the second-most in program history, while Luke Luckfield (Jr., Honolulu, Hawaii, Software Engineering) notched 12 digs.
A trio of WPU players accounted for four blocks each, including Figy, Beallis, and Zavala. Krause managed two aces, while the navy and gold finished with five overall.
Next Up: William Penn travels to Canton, Mo. Saturday to face Culver-Stockton in Heart play at 2 p.m.
