Defense Shines but Not Enough in Loss to MNU
Olathe, Kan.—The Statesmen women’s volleyball team traveled south to take on MidAmerica Nazarene on Thursday. It was the first time this season the teams have met.
William Penn (11-17, 6-9 Heart) pushed the Pioneers (17-10, 9-4 Heart) in multiple sets but unfortunately came out on the wrong side of a 3-1 score.
After dropping the first set 25-22, the Statesmen responded with a gritty 29-27 victory in set two. Set three slipped away from WPU as they held a 19-15 lead late but the home team proceeded to go on a 10-4 run to take the set and the momentum. The ladies managed to keep the fourth set close but continually found themselves playing catch-up and dropped the set 25-20 to give MNU the win.
The Statesmen were outhit by the Pioneers by a small margin of .162-.173 showcasing how close the match was. Alicia Jaquez (Jr., Farmington, N.M., Biology) had a strong outing by leading her squad in kills with 16 while hitting at a .273 clip. Both Libby Zorn (Jr., Billings, Mont., History) and Danielle Pendzinski (Sr., Winnebago, Ill., Elementary Education) eclipsed the double-digit kill mark, each finishing with 10.
Annalise Whitcomb (Jr., Humboldt, Kan., Accounting) showcased strong passing ability and some defensive prowess collecting a double-double with 21 assists and 10 digs.
The navy and gold were solid defensively as 12 different players recorded a dig. Cameryn Campbell (Jr., Jefferson City, Mo., Education) continued her strong junior campaign tallying 36 digs. Campbell has now accumulated 516 digs on the season and came into the matchup ranked 19th nationally in the NAIA. Casi Gacusana (Sr., Kea’au, Hawaii, Biology) played at a high level collecting 20 digs, her second highest total in a match on the season. Cecily Liphardt (Fr., Lincoln, Neb., Psychology) returned from an injury that sidelined her for a couple of games and had 15 digs as well in the setback.
Next Up: William Penn will have the weekend off as they will return to action at home as they take on Clarke on Tuesday, Oct. 22, starting at 7 pm.
