Statesmen Defeat Grand View, Secure No. 4 Seed
Des Moines–The No. 9 William Penn men’s volleyball team earned a 3-1 victory over Heart rival Grand View Tuesday night.
With the win, the Statesmen clinch the No. 4 seed in the postseason and will face a rematch against No. 5-seeded Grand View. William Penn is now 1-1 against the Vikings this season after falling 3-2 in late February.
William Penn (18-6, 14-5 Heart) secured the victory over Grand View (13-8, 12-7 Heart) with set scores of 21-25, 28-26, 25-20, and 25-22. The Statesmen posted attack percentages of .143, .483, .286, and .294 across the four sets, while the Vikings hit .333, .303, .086, and .179.
The opening set featured a tight battle with multiple lead changes. Holding an 18-17 advantage, William Penn saw Grand View respond with a 6-1 run to take control at 23-19. The Statesmen halted the momentum but were unable to recover, dropping the set 25-21.
Grand View carried momentum early into the second, leading 11-10 before William Penn regained control. The Statesmen briefly built an edge, but the Vikings battled back to even the score at 24-24. In a back-and-forth finish, William Penn delivered consecutive kills to claim a 28-26 set victory and even the match.
In the third set, William Penn took command early behind the serving of Marton Sebestyen (Fr., Gyenesdias, Hungary, Business Management), who guided a 7-0 run to give the Statesmen a 10-1 lead. Grand View responded with multiple runs to close within one point at 17-16, but William Penn answered with an 8-4 stretch to secure the set 25-20.
The fourth set opened in favor of the Statesmen, who built an 8-3 advantage. Grand View continued to apply pressure, using small runs to stay within striking distance. A late 4-0 Viking run trimmed the deficit to 22-20, but William Penn held firm and closed out the match with a 25-22 win.
Despite Grand View holding a slight 59-55 edge in kills, William Penn controlled the match by limiting errors, committing just 17 compared to the Vikings’ 29. The Statesmen finished with a .302 hitting percentage, while Grand View posted a .219 mark.
William Penn also dominated at the net with a 14-5 advantage in total blocks. Grand View led from the service line with seven aces, while the Statesmen recorded one.
Tommy Fellows (So., Shorewood, Ill., Exercise Science) led all players with 17 kills and a .389 hitting percentage. Sebestyen added 15 kills at a .344 clip, while Ben Brinkman (So., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management) tallied 12 kills on a .450 hitting percentage.
Brady Zell (So., Wales, Wis., Business Management) dished out 45 assists to lead the offense. Joao Gabriel Filippelli (Jr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) and Travis Keller (Sr., Spruce Grove, Alberta, Business Management) each recorded nine digs, while Fellows added seven.
At the net, Britten Beallis (Sr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) totaled one solo block and seven block assists. Brinkman and Fellows followed with seven and six block assists, respectively.
“Great team win tonight to finish out the regular season,” said Head Coach Luke Bentley. “The guys continue to push the limit and exceed expectations. Proud of what this group has accomplished so far.”
Next Up: William Penn opens postseason play at the Penn Activity Center on Saturday at 2:00 p.m. against Grand View in the Heart Championship Quarterfinals.
