Statesmen Battle but Fall Short in Top-10 Clash Against Lawrence Tech
Fort Wayne, Ind.–The No. 5 William Penn men’s volleyball team put up a strong fight but fell short in a hard-fought 3-1 road loss to No. 9 Lawrence Tech on Saturday.
The Statesmen (3-4) attempted to mount a reverse sweep after dropping the first two sets but ultimately couldn’t complete the comeback, falling with set scores of 23-25, 18-25, 25-20, and 22-25 to the undefeated Blue Devils (5-0).
William Penn struggled early, quickly falling into a 9-3 hole in the opening set. The Statesmen clawed their way back with a 13-6 run to cut the deficit to 22-20, forcing an LTU timeout. WPU continued to push, tying the set at 23-23, but two late points sealed the frame for the Blue Devils.
The second set saw a similar slow start for the Statesmen, who found themselves trailing 6-1. They fought back to tie the score at 11-11, but LTU responded with a dominant 10-2 run. From there, both teams traded points, but WPU couldn’t generate enough momentum to avoid a 2-0 deficit.
With their backs against the wall, the Statesmen came alive in the third set. After an early 4-1 LTU lead, WPU answered with six unanswered points. The teams traded scoring runs, but a strong 6-2 finish secured the set for William Penn, handing Lawrence Tech its first dropped set of the 2025 season.
The fourth set saw WPU take command early with a dominant 9-0 run. However, LTU steadily chipped away at the deficit, outscoring the Statesmen 15-8 to take a slim 19-18 lead. WPU briefly regained control with a 4-2 run, but the Blue Devils had the final word, closing out the match with a decisive 4-0 burst.
While Lawrence Tech edged William Penn in kills (57-40) and hitting percentage (.169 to .167), the Statesmen were more efficient, committing just 19 attack errors compared to LTU’s 33.
Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) paced the offense with 11 kills, while Travis Keller (Jr., Spruce Grove, Alberta, Business Management) and Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) chipped in seven each. Brinkman was especially efficient, posting a .467 attack percentage, while Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) added six kills at a .455 clip.
Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) directed the offense with 35 assists, while the defense was anchored by João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) with eight digs. Taylor Brummond (Fr., Winsted, Minn., Sports Management) followed with seven, while Keller and Zell each added six.
At the net, WPU recorded 13 total blocks, led by Brinkman’s dominant performance with eight (two solo, six assists). Zell contributed four block assists, while Beallis posted four total blocks (two solo, two assists).
“Tough battle against a top team. Lawrence Tech is legit,” said Head Coach Luke Bentley. “Our guys hung real well. Proud of the fight they showed today.”
Next Up: The Statesmen return home next Tuesday, looking to bounce back against Mount Mercy at the Penn Activity Center at 7:00 p.m.
