William Penn Drops Four-Setter to Clarke
William Penn Women’s Athletics
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen volleyball team nearly pushed one of the better teams in the Midwest Collegiate Conference to the brink, but eventually lost in four sets to Clarke on Breast Cancer Awareness Night Tuesday.
William Penn (12-24, 0-4 MCC), which remained winless in league play, lost by scores of 17-25, 21-25, 25-22, 22-25. In a match that featured 18 blocks (six by WPU), the Crusaders (24-6, 3-2 MCC) owned a .257-.139 hitting edge.
The hosts battled toe-to-toe in the early parts of the opening set with leads of 7-6 and 13-12. Unfortunately, the visitors pulled away with five unanswered points and never led by less than three points again.
The Statesmen were ahead 2-1 in the second set, but then gave up a 9-3 CU run. They did not fold, however, reclaiming one-point advantages three times midway through the set. Clarke, which battled #19 Grand View to five sets earlier this month, managed to rebound to take a commanding two-sets-to-none lead.
WPU, behind an evening-best .289 hitting clip, was not through fighting as it picked up the third set. In the tightest set of the match, the navy and gold trailed 21-20, but came up with five of the final six points to extend the contest.
The rally unfortunately may have exhausted all of the team’s resources, though, as the Crusaders bolted out to an 18-9 lead in set #4. William Penn charged back to cut the deficit to two late, but could not deny visitors the victory.
Kristal Campos (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology) had the most impressive night for the Statesmen with 14 kills. Alanna Connors (Sr., Libertyville, Ill., Biology) was next with nine kills, while Shawni Wills (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology) and Jeanette Cunningham (Sr., Mt. Orab, Ohio, Elementary Education) added seven and six winners, respectively.
Dayna Sammons (Jr., Menomonee Falls, Wis., Software Engineering) ‘quarterbacked’ the offense with 33 assists. She also matched Campos with three aces as WPU finished with 11 service points in the setback.
Danielle Breeher (So., St. Louis, Mo., Undecided) posted 18 digs, while Cunningham (one solo block, two block assists), Wills (three block assists), and Kylie Giger (So., Elkhart, Ind., Exercise Science) (three block assists) topped the team at the defensive net.
Next: William Penn travels to Rock Island, Ill. this weekend to compete in the Augustana Pumpkin Bash Tournament. On Friday, the Statesmen meet North Park (Ill.) at 4 p.m. and Central at 6 p.m. On Saturday, WPU takes on Simpson at 10 a.m. and Wartburg at 2 p.m.
