William Penn Returns to Nationals, Earns No. 10 Seed
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen men’s volleyball team will get an opportunity to fight for a Red Banner next week as it received an at-large berth to the 7th Annual NAIA National Championship.
WPU, which owns a 18-7 record, was awarded one of the three at-large bids and enters nationals as the No. 10 overall seed. The 12-team Championship will be held in Cedar Rapids next Tuesday through Saturday, April 28-May 2 at the Alliant Energy PowerHouse.
The Statesmen open Pool B competition next Tuesday, April 28 against No. 2 The Master’s (Calif.) at 1 p.m. They then meet No. 7 seed St. Thomas (Fla.) next Wednesday, April 29 at 1 p.m. The winner of each pool then advances to next Friday’s semifinals, while the title match will be held next Saturday, May 2.
William Penn, which is making its third trip to the Championship (2022, 2024), owns a 2-3 all-time postseason record.
Fans can purchase all-day tickets in advance at https://www.creventslive.com/events/2026/2026-naia-mens-volleyball-championship
William Penn
Luke Bentley is in his seventh year as head coach of the Statesmen, owning a 113-76 record entering nationals.
WPU had three individuals receive all-Heart of America Athletic Conference awards this spring. Emilio Spanner (Jr., Sint Eustatius, Sports Management) leads the team with 260 kills.
The Statesmen, who won eight matches in a row at one point, have outhit their opponents .260-.184.
The Master’s
The Mustangs, who are 22-1 overall, are headed by Jared Goldberg in his sixth season (110-27 career record). TMU is making its fourth nationals appearance, including winning the NAIA title a year ago.
The Master’s, which earned an automatic berth out of the Great Southwest Athletic Conference, had five individuals earn all-GSAC awards, including GSAC Player of the Year Isaac Seltzer. Seltzer leads the Mustangs with 317 kills, while the team owns a .400-.133 attacking edge over its opponents.
TMU opened the year by winning its first 20 matches.
St. Thomas (Fla.)
The Bobcats, with a 24-4 record, are making their second trip to the Championship. Head Coach Breno Ertty is in his second year, owning a 49-6 record at St. Thomas.
STU, which gained an automatic berth from the Appalachian Athletic Conference, is led by Kaelen Ingram with 315 kills. The squad outhits its opponents by a .353-.172 margin.
The Bobcats posted an 11-match winning streak earlier this year.
