Statesmen Conclude 2017 with Victory
by Wade Steinlage
The William Penn volleyball team sent its senior class out on top with a 3-1 win over Culver-Stockton in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Tuesday.
Oskaloosa–The William Penn volleyball team sent its senior class out on top with a 3-1 win over Culver-Stockton in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Tuesday.
WPU (12-25, 3-16 Heart), which won by scores of 15-25, 25-21, 25-16, 25-13, outhit the Wildcats .239-.072.
The Statesmen struggled out of the gate in giving up the night’s first five points. They never recovered in dropping the opening set to C-SC (9-24, 2-17 Heart).
The home team also fell behind in the early parts of the second set, trailing by as many as five points at 16-11 before battling back with six of the next seven points. WPU then fell behind 19-17, but closed with eight of the last 10 points to even the match.
By taking the second round, the navy and gold had stolen the momentum and they refused to return it, rolling to wire-to-wire triumphs in the third and fourth sets to finish the season with a victory.
Claire Simmons (Sr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Psychology and Human Services) made her Senior Night memorable with 14 kills and a .306 attack clip.
Jordan Carter (Jr., Sigourney, Iowa, Elementary Education) joined Simmons in double figures with 11 winners; the junior hit .556.
Nashali Cruz (Fr., Bayamon, P.R., Biology) finished with eight points and Alicia Jaquez (Fr., Farmington, N.M., Biology) was good for another five. Cruz was solid on the defensive side as well with three block assists.
The setting duo of Taniah Ayap (Fr., Hilo, Hawaii, Exercise Science) and Caitlin Jamison (So., Winfield, Iowa, Undecided) each assisted 22 times, while Ashley Miller (Jr., Kalona, Iowa, Exercise Science) capped an incredible season with 27 digs. Miller posted 832 digs this fall.
The match ends the collegiate careers of Simmons, Brittany Weikel (Remsen, Iowa, Psychology and Sociology), Karissa Wilcoxson (Ottumwa, Iowa, Sports Management), and Student Coach Hannah Dustin (Albia, Iowa, Exercise Science).
