Statesmen Sweep Grace for First Win of ‘17
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa–It was quite the party inside Penn Gymnasium Tuesday and the William Penn volleyball team fed off the home crowd’s intense energy in a 3-0 win over Grace (Neb.) in non-conference action.
The Statesmen (1-4) won their home opener by scores of 25-22, 25-16, 25-15. The hosts outhit the Royals (0-1) by a tally of .181-.000.
WPU tallied the first three points of the night and never relinquished the advantage in taking the opening set.
Grace pushed back in the second set, but the navy and gold broke a 12-12 tie with eight of the next nine points to build a commanding 2-0 lead.
William Penn refused to allow the Royals back into the matchup, going wire-to-wire in the third set to complete the sweep.
Jordan Carter (Jr., Sigourney, Iowa, Elementary Education) guided the hosts with 10 kills, while Nashali Cruz (Fr., Bayamon, P.R., Biology) was next with nine winners. Cruz’s team-high .444 attack percentage (just one error) was matched by Haley Smith (Jr., Adrian, Mich., Elementary Education).
Claire Simmons (Sr., Williamsburg, Iowa, Psychology) added seven kills, while Smith, who had four kills, assisted on 30 points. Simmons served up a pair of aces as well.
Ashley Miller (Jr., Kalona, Iowa, Exercise Science) finished with 19 digs and also tallied two aces, while Cruz managed two solo blocks.
“The girls played with good energy, the crowd had amazing energy, and I think it really helped us close up the match in three sets,” Head Coach Jennifer Carlson said. “The girls are coming together as a team better than we ever have in the past and you are seeing that in the way they play. We still have some areas that we need to clean up, but I think it will come with more practice. I am excited to see what we bring to Friday’s first conference match!”
Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa Friday to host a triangular. The Statesmen face Benedictine in Heart of America Athletic Conference play at 3:30 p.m. and then take on Cardinal Stritch in non-league play at 7:30 p.m.
