Reverse Sweep Highlights 3-1 Weekend at Home Tourney
Oskaloosa–The William Penn women’s volleyball team dropped its opening contest, but closed strong as it finished 3-1 at its own Labor Day Tournament Friday and Saturday.
WPU (9-5) start the weekend with a 3-0 loss to Briar Cliff Friday (20-25, 18-25, 23-25), but bounced back with a 3-1 win over Mount Marty (S.D.) (25-21, 15-25, 25-23, 25-22).
On Saturday, the Statesmen swept Hannibal-LaGrange (Mo.) 3-0 (25-8, 25-21, 25-18), and ended the long, five-match week with a 3-2 triumph over Waldorf (16-25, 21-25, 27-25, 25-23, 15-10).
Briar Cliff 3, WPU 0
The navy and gold, who were outhit .264-.157, could not find a rhythm in the first two sets. They were close to putting it together in the third round, holding an 18-15 advantage. Unfortunately, the Chargers mounted a comeback and finished the sweep.
Hailee Pesek (Sr., New Hampton, Iowa, Nursing) topped the offense with nine kills, while Emma Skoglund (Fr., Branson, Mo.) was next with eight winners. The duo of Emilie Bojorquez-McFadden (Sr., Surprise, Ariz., Biology) and Alix Robinson (So., Pontiac, Ill., Political Science and History) added six winners each, and Maju Vieira (Sr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) and Mariah Reed (Jr., Fulton, Mo., Business Management) contributed five.
Courtney McWilliams (So., Rockton, Ill., Nursing) finished with a double-double of 20 digs and 11 assists; the sophomore also tallied two aces. Skoglund’s two block assists were a team best as well.
WPU 3, Mount Marty 1
The Statesmen made up for a .171-.118 hitting deficit by posting 13 aces (eight for the Lancers).
WPU trailed for much of the opening set, including at 19-15 before reeling off five in a row and pulling away down the stretch. The second round was a runaway for MMU, but the hosts answered by playing well at the start and end of the third set.
Down 6-1 in the fourth set, William Penn slowly chipped away and eventually closed the match on a 5-2 run.
A dozen kills were posted by both Pesek and Vieira, while Robinson joined the double-digit club with 10. Skoglund also ended up with seven terminations.
McWilliams assisted on 38 kills, while Pesek’s three aces were a squad high. Four of her teammates added two service aces as well.
Double-doubles came from Vieira and Robinson as they also managed 15 digs and 11 digs, respectively.
WPU 3, Hannibal-LaGrange 0
The Statesmen had no issues with the Trojans, hitting .275, while holding H-LG in the red at -.078.
Robinson owned the team lead with 12 kills, while Vieira reached double figures as well with 11. Skoglund (7) and Gastala (6) were integral parts of the offense as well.
Ekinci was the most productive setter with 14 assists, while Maddy Gustafson (Jr., Marion, Iowa, Psychology and Human Services) held down the back row with 14 digs. Reed guided the defensive net personnel with four blocks.
WPU 3, Waldorf 2
The navy and gold started slow, but picked it up as the match continued. Except for a blip in the fourth set where both teams struggled offensively, William Penn improved its attack percentage in every round, starting from .129 in the first and finishing at .250 in the fifth.
Overall, the Statesmen managed to win despite being outhit .170-.155.
Four individuals were in double figures, including Robinson (16), Vieira (15), Bojorquez-McFadden (14), and Skoglund (10).
Robinson’s 19 digs and Vieira’s 15 digs helped both players to double-doubles, while McWilliams also accomplished the feat with 47 assists and 16 digs.
Gustafson was the best back-row player with 29 digs, while the net was covered by Bojorquez-McFadden and Skoglund with three blocks apiece. Abigail Mitchell (Sr., Oxford, Ala., Nursing) served up three of the squad’s seven aces as well.
“Finishing out our tournament with a reverse sweep is a great feeling,” Head Coach Lauren Eldridge said. “We battled back in the third and fourth sets, then knew we had it in us to finish the fifth. It was a great three days, going 4-1 in our home-opening week before heading into conference play. Everyone was able to contribute on the court in some way, and it took all of us to get those wins. I am proud of the resilience this team showed all week long. Now it is time to rest up, polish up a few things, and get ready for conference play.”
Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa next Friday to host Peru State in its Heart of America Athletic Conference opener at 7 p.m.
