Statesmen Drop First Game in Quincy

Quincy, Ill.–The William Penn men’s volleyball team had their first road contest on Friday, squaring off against the Quincy Hawks. The Statesmen took their first defeat of the season, dropping consecutive sets of 25-18, 25-20, 25-19.

Charlie Figy (So., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management) was a force early on, killing home one point and earning a block later on as the Statesmen jumped out to an early lead. The Hawks captured momentum, however, and the navy and gold were unable to stop the surge. A late push brought them close, but it was not enough as the hosts took the first set of the evening. William Penn hit a respectable .241 for the set, but were outhit by the Hawks as they hit to a clip of .348.

An even distribution on the attack helped the Statesmen remain close to begin the second set, but the Hawks once again found their stride around the midway point, using a seven point run to jump ahead 19-9. The Statesmen had their own five point run to try to claw their way back, highlighted by three consecutive blocks from Figy, Landon Krause (So., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management), and Ike Papes (Jr., Elwood, Ill., Business Management), but the comeback bid ultimately fell short as Quincy took a 2-0 lead on WPU. Both teams saw a decrease in their attacking efficiency, but the Hawks still found a way to outhit the Statesmen .211-.105.

After conceding the opening three points, Figy and Papes each responded with kills to try to get momentum back on William Penn’s side as they tried to force a fourth set. Once again, the hosts found their stride as they approached the midway point of the set, extending their lead to 19-12. The Statesmen tried to surge late, but fell short again as Quincy completed the sweep.

Krause led the team with 11 kills, also recording two services aces and four blocks. Papes added nine, while Figy had the most efficient night after earning five kills against only one error on eight swings.

Connor Muff (Sr., Kenosha, Wis., Business Management) handled setting duties, assisting in 23 of the team’s 28 kills on the evening. Carlos Garcia (Jr., Laredo, Texas, Biology) headed the defensive efforts with seven digs, with Muff chipping in for four.

“Great test early in our season,” said Head Coach Luke Bentley. “Excited to get the chance to bounce back again tomorrow.”