Statesmen Finish Regular Season with Road Win
Lamoni, Iowa–The William Penn women’s volleyball team played their final regular season game on Tuesday, coming out victorious against the Graceland Yellowjackets in four sets.
The Statesmen conclude their regular season slate with an overall record of 18-11, while finishing Heart of America Athletic Conference play with a record of 11-8.
The attackers forced pressure on the Graceland attackers early, forcing a few errors to get on the board. The William Penn attackers got more involved later on, as Morgan Sanders (Fr., Lee’s Summit, Mo., Biology) killed home two points to help the navy and gold to a 12-6 lead. The Yellowjackets battled back, but a five point run, aided by two kills and a block from Corrin Lepper (Sr., Jefferson City, Mo., Exercise Science), effectively put the opening set away. Annalise Whitcomb (Sr., Humboldt, Kan., General Accounting) punctuated the opening stanza with her second ace of the contest as the Statesmen opened the match with a 25-17 win.
The Statesmen got out to another early lead, this one off the strength of two kills each from Lepper and Alicia Jaquez (Sr., Farmington, N.M., Biology). Their 9-4 advantage quickly slipped to just a 13-12 lead, however, as the Yellowjackets fought back to take their first lead of the set at 18-17. The Statesmen could not claw their way back, dropping the second set by a score of 25-22.
The hosts looked poised to take a 2-1 set lead, jumping out to a quick 9-3 lead. This time, however, it was William Penn’s turn to battle back as the offense really came to life. Jaquez and Tori Combs (Jr., Cloverdale, Ind., Psychology) each had three kills, while Lepper contributed four to push the Statesmen back on top at 19-18. Graceland took the lead again at 21-20, but the Statesmen took the next five in a row to close out the third set with a 25-21 win.
Looking to finish off their regular season with a win, the Statesmen jumped out to the early lead to begin the fourth. A back-and-forth affair ensued, with the two teams continually trading points, but Graceland was never to take the lead. Finally, the navy and gold created separation, with Whitcomb adding two more aces during a five point run that brought the lead to 20-15. The Statesmen held on for the victory, clinching the fourth set with a 25-19 win.
Lepper led the team with 12 kills on the evening, with Jaquez joining her in double digits with 10. Cecily Liphardt (Jr., Lincoln, Neb., Psychology and Business Management) contributed seven, while Combs had six on only eight swings. Liphardt also added three blocks to her final line.
Macy Bailey (Jr., Bondurant, Iowa, Business Management) operated as the primary setter, totaling 20 assists. Whitcomb followed close behind with 18 assists, while also racking up four service aces. The two setters combined for a whopping six aces as Bailey also earned two during the contest.
A balanced back row effort led to success in the contest. Rebekah Eaves (Sr., Farmington, N.M., Elementary Education) led the back row with 17 digs, with both Whitcomb and Cameryn Campbell (Sr., Jefferson City, Mo., Elementary Education) contributing double digits. Whitcomb finished with 12, while Campbell added 11.
“We fought through a ton of adversity tonight, and I’m proud we found a way to win,” said Head Coach Aleesha Cleaver. “It wasn’t always pretty, but the girls never gave up and kept pushing forward. This is the mentality we need going into the postseason.”
What’s Next: The Statesmen will play in the quarterfinals of the Heart of America Athletic Conference tournament this Saturday. They will travel to Fayette, Mo. to take on the Central Methodist Eagles, with first serve scheduled for 4 PM.
