WPU Narrowly Misses Ending Losing Streak
Oskaloosa–The Statesmen women’s volleyball team was on the verge of getting back into the win column, but could not shut the door as it fell 3-2 to St. Ambrose in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Tuesday.
William Penn (11-18, 2-13 Heart) fell by scores of 25-18, 22-25, 23-25, 25-18, 14-16.
The hosts rolled to an early lead by hitting an evening-best .333 in the first set. The navy and gold scored the first four points of the match and never trailed for a 1-0 advantage.
The second and third rounds were not as pleasant for William Penn as the Bees (9-17, 7-8 Heart) bounced back and took a 2-1 lead.
WPU trailed 7-4 in the fourth set, but tallied six of the next seven points. It was not threatened the rest of the way, forcing a winner-take-all fifth set.
William Penn retained its momentum, claiming an early lead in the fifth. SAU rallied for a 4-3 edge, but the home squad pulled back ahead and had the Bees on the ropes with four match points at 14-10.
Unfortunately, the Statesmen failed to record the required final point as St. Ambrose finished the bout with six unanswered for the victory.
William Penn was denied despite owning a .202-.132 hitting advantage. Emma Skoglund (Fr., Branson, Mo., Nursing) led her crew with 13 kills on a .300 clip, while Alix Robinson (So., Pontiac, Ill., Political Science and History) was also strong, reaching double digits with 12 kills.
The trio of Emilie Bojorquez-McFadden (Sr., Surprise, Ariz., Biology), Abigail Mitchell (Sr., Oxford, Ala., Nursing), and Maju Vieira (Sr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) just missed the double-figure club with nine kills each, while Hailee Pesek (Sr., New Hampton, Iowa, Nursing) tacked on five more.
Courtney McWilliams (So., Rockton, Ill., Nursing) assisted on 33 kills, while Maddy Gustafson (Jr., Marion, Iowa, Psychology and Human Services) led the Statesmen in the back row (33 digs) and at the service line (two aces). William Penn lost the aces category 10-6.
Bojorquez-McFadden’s six blocks headlined a defensive frontline that ended up with nine blocks (13 for SAU).
Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa Saturday as it hosts Culver-Stockton for Homecoming at 5 p.m. The match will also serve as Senior Night.
