WPU Falls to Grand View in Des Moines
Des Moines — The top team in the nation is what the William Penn men’s volleyball team was up against Thursday night as it traveled to Iowa’s capital. The Grand View Vikings put the pedal down early and despite the Statesmen fighting hard, the Vikings completed the 3-0 sweep with scores of 25-14, 25-13, 25-7. WPU is now 1-1 overall and in the Heart of America Athletic Conference.
The navy and gold swooped in for the first point of the match as Connor Muff (Jr., Kenosha, Wis., Business Management) made the set for Anthony Torres (Fr., Aurora, Ill., Computer Science), who collected the kill. Grand View took a 2-1 lead right back, but Ike Papes (So., Elwood, Ill., Business Management) easily tied it up on the next rally. Following an exchange of points, GV started to take over. The hosts put up a 7-2 run that put them ahead 10-5 with Eli Herro (So., Dousman, Wis., Business Management) picking one the few points the Statesmen produced. Down but not out, WPU made it 15-10 after a big blast from Papes. However, the Vikings finished off the set with a 9-4 streak to give them the decision at 25-14. The Statesmen managed five kills in 21 attempts in the first frame and looked to come out strong in the second.
The Statesmen got on the board in the second set via a service error, but Muff returned the favor, putting the team down 2-1. Papes and CJ Rettig (So., Sierra Madre, Calif., Physical Education) each picked up kills, but could only keep the Vikings within three points at 6-3. Grand View then put up four in a row to force the Statesmen to call a timeout. Once again, the Vikings displayed their offensive powers, going up 16-7 on a 7-3 sprint. Papes and Muff each got a kill over the final few rallies, but GV put the matter to rest, taking set two 25-13. WPU notched seven kills in 23 total attempts in the second set as it tried to find some momentum to take into the third.
The Vikings had a different idea as they racked up the first three points, putting the Statesmen on their heels quickly. Papes pounced on a ball for another kill, but the home side soon broke away again, going up 10-4. The navy and gold would be stuck on four until a service error gave them the ball, down 18-5. Torres pounded down a kill, but the team would only get two more points from there with Grand View taking the final set 25-7.
The Statesmen hit at a -.030 pace for the match with 17 kills and 19 errors in 66 total attempts. The visitors had 16 digs and could not find an ace for the evening. Papes led the team with eight kills, while Torres had three. Rettig and Muff each managed two, while Carlos Garcia (So., Laredo, Texas, Biology) had five digs to pace the lineup.
“The easiest way to sum up tonight is to use the cliché of, “We just weren’t good enough tonight”,” said Head Coach Luke Bentley. “Grand View executed at such a high level and we struggled matching that. I can’t be too mad about our performance. I thought we did a lot of things well. We just couldn’t put it all together.”
Next Up: The Statesmen will be home for their next two matches, beginning with Clarke coming to Oskaloosa next Tuesday at 7 p.m.
