Statesmen Streak Continues with Fifth Straight Sweep, Down Missouri Baptist 3-0
Oskaloosa–The No. 10 William Penn men’s volleyball team continued its dominant stretch with a straight-set sweep over Missouri Baptist in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Friday.
William Penn (14-5, 10-4 Heart) secured its fifth consecutive 3-0 victory, defeating Missouri Baptist (13-11, 7-8 Heart) by scores of 25-23, 26-24, and 25-17. The Statesmen posted set attack percentages of .357, .257, and an impressive .600, while the Spartans finished at .324, .267, and .222.
The Statesmen opened the first set in a tightly contested battle, trading points early before breaking an 8-8 tie with a three-point surge to take an 11-8 lead. William Penn maintained control through much of the set, but Missouri Baptist mounted a late push to close within 21-20. The Navy and Gold responded when it mattered most, closing on a 5-2 run to claim the opener 25-23.
Missouri Baptist grabbed a slight 5-4 edge to begin the second set, but William Penn answered with a 6-1 run to regain momentum. The teams exchanged points throughout the middle portion before the Spartans surged late, using a 5-1 run to even the score at 24-24. Once again, the Statesmen delivered in crunch time, scoring the final two points to take a 2-0 match lead.
In the third set, William Penn held a narrow 10-9 advantage before stringing together four consecutive points to create separation. The Spartans attempted to keep pace, but the Statesmen remained in control. Holding a 19-15 lead, the Navy and Gold closed the match with a 6-2 run to complete the sweep.
Statistically, the Statesmen edged Missouri Baptist 43-42 in kills while committing fewer errors (12-16), finishing with a .373 hitting percentage compared to the Spartans’ .277. Both teams recorded three service aces, but William Penn showed greater discipline at the service line with just seven errors compared to Missouri Baptist’s 14.
Emilio Spanner (Sr., Sint Eustatius, Sports Management) led the attack with 12 kills, followed closely by Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Sr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) with 11. Tommy Fellows (So., Shorewood, Ill., Exercise Science) and Britten Beallis (Sr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) each added eight kills, with Beallis hitting at an efficient .538 clip.
Brady Zell (So., Wales, Wis., Business Management) directed the offense with 37 assists. Defensively, Cemeno-Castillo paced the back row with seven digs, while Joao Gabriel Filippelli (Jr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) and Spanner each recorded six. Fellows and Zell contributed five digs apiece.
At the net, William Penn controlled play with 12 total blocks compared to five for Missouri Baptist. Beallis led the effort with six total blocks (two solo, four assists). Ben Brinkman (So., Appleton, Wis., Sports Management) added four block assists and one solo block, while Spanner contributed four block assists.
“We wanted to make sure we are taking care of business and putting our best foot forward, and tonight it worked out in our favor,” Head Coach Luke Bentley said. “We’ll get our guys ready to go for tomorrow. We honor eight seniors tomorrow, but first and foremost, we have to get a win tomorrow.”
