WPU Returns to Action with Convincing Sweep of Ranked Lourdes
Sylvania, Ohio–The William Penn men’s volleyball team attacked at a high clip Friday as it defeated #14 Lourdes 3-0 in non-conference play Friday.
The #9-ranked Statesmen (4-1) got past the Gray Wolves by scores of 25-17, 25-21, 25-15, headlined by a hitting advantage of .371-.084. The visitors also posted a blocking edge of 9-2 over LU.
WPU, which had not competed in 10 days, scored the first two points of the night and never trailed in an opening set where it hit .480. Five of the squad’s blocks came in the first round.
The second go-round was a much tighter affair, but a kill by Britten Beallis (So., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) helped his crew take the lead for good at 8-7. Up only one point at 20-19, the Statesmen won the next four points to cruise to a 2-0 edge in the match.
WPU made sure Lourdes could not get back into the contest as it turned a 5-3 deficit in the third set into a 7-5 advantage, courtesy of winners by Charlie Figy (Sr., Appleton, Wis., Secondary Education PE K-12) and Landon Krause (Sr., Appleton, Wis., Business Management). A few more mini runs then put the victory away.
Figy topped the navy and gold with nine kills on .750 hitting. Papes and Krause were next with seven points, while Devyn Zavala (Sr., Long Beach, Calif., Wellness and Recreation) was good for six more.
Matt Helmick (Sr., Fullerton, Calif., Business Management) distributed 32 assists Friday, while serving was lacking on both ends. WPU accumulated four aces to 15 errors, while limiting the Gray Wolves to only one ace (14 errors).
Defensively, the trio of Figy, Krause, and Beallis each had a part in four blocks, while Joao Gabriel Filippelli (Fr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) guided the back row with seven digs.
“Our guys gave great effort on the road tonight,” Head Coach Luke Bentley said. “Our middle hitters played especially well.”
Next Up: William Penn remains in Sylvania, Ohio Saturday to face Menlo (Calif.) in non-conference action 9 a.m. (CST).
