WPU Falls to Baker in Five Sets
William Penn University Athletics
by Wade Steinlage
Oskaloosa—William Penn hosted Baker on the second night of a back-to-back on Saturday afternoon in Heart of America Athletic Conference action.
After a thrilling five-set victory on Friday, the Statesmen (19-11, 6-9 Heart) unfortunately fell to the Wildcats (12-17, 7-8 Heart) in five sets (18-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-14, 10-15).
The Statesmen were outmatched offensively, with Baker outhitting the home team .222-.098.
Nashali Cruz (So., Bayamon, P.R., Biology) had another solid outing for the navy and gold, posting her second consecutive 14 kill performance while hitting at a .190 clip.
The setting duo of Elena Lucero (Fr., Yuba City, Calif., Political Science) and Haley Smith (Sr., Adrian, Mich., Elementary Education) once again reached double digit assist totals 18 and 16 respectively.
Defensively, Ashley Miller (Sr., Kalona, Iowa, Exercise Science) carried the load for the Statesmen finishing with 33 digs; her fifth outing with at least 30 digs. Casi Gacusana (Jr., Kea’au, Hawaii, Biology) chipped in with 16 digs of her own, a new career-best.
“Our defense really played well tonight” Head Coach Aleesha Cleaver said, “I thought it kept us in some tough possessions as the plays wore on” she added.
Next Up: The navy and gold will host rival Grand View for senior night on Tuesday at the Penn Gymnasium, starting at 7:00 PM.
