WPU Starts 2013 Season 1-3 at Mount Mercy Invite
William Penn Women’s Athletics
Cedar Rapids–The Statesmen volleyball team notched just one win in its first tournament of the year at the Mount Mercy Zio Johno’s Mustang Invitational Friday and Saturday.
The season opener witnessed William Penn (1-3) falling 3-1 to Judson (Ill.) (18-25, 21-25, 25-20, 19-25). The team then lost again 3-1 to Dakota Wesleyan (S.D.) (20-25, 25-22, 16-25, 18-25) before getting into the win column Saturday morning with a 3-1 victory over Mayville State (N.D.) (25-23, 17-25, 25-21, 25-23). The weekend unfortunately concluded with one more setback, this time 3-0 to Peru State (Neb.) (20-25, 18-25, 20-25).
Judson 3, William Penn 1
Kristal Campos (Jr., Lancaster, Calif., Sociology) posted a team-best 13 kills in her navy and gold debut. Alanna Connors (Sr., Libertyville, Ill., Biology) was also productive with eight kills.
Dayna Sammons (Jr., Menomonee Falls, Wis., Software Engineering) assisted on 31 points, while Danielle Breeher (So., St. Louis, Mo., Undecided) managed 17 digs. Shawni Wills (Fr., Oskaloosa, Iowa, Biology) tallied four aces, and Sammons and Kylie Giger (So., Elkhart, Ind., Exercise Science) finished with two block assists each.
Dakota Wesleyan 3, William Penn 1
Campos was again at the top of the William Penn stat sheet with 13 kills, while Giger added nine winners. Leyra Jusino (So., Bayamon, P.R., General Biology) took advantage of a few more opportunities at setter, managing 21 assists. Sammons assisted eight times.
Breeher’s 13 digs were a team high (Connors had ten), and Giger blocked three attempts (two solos, one assist). Campos and Connors both recorded two aces.
William Penn 3, Mayville State 1
Jeanette Cunningham (Sr., Mt. Orab, Ohio, Elementary Education), a returning honorable-mention all-Midwest Collegiate Conference performer (Sammons and Breeher as well), finally got into the mix with 16 kills. Connors, with nine, and both Giger and Wills, with eight, also produced.
Jusino finished with 44 assists, 12 digs, and two aces, while Breeher had a squad-best 18 digs (Connors with 12). Giger guided the defense with one solo block and three block assists.
Peru State 3, William Penn 0
Cunningham’s seven kills led all WPU players, while Connors was credited with six. A total of 12 assists went to Jusino, while Breeher dug nine balls. Cunningham also blocked two Peru State tries (one solo, one assist).
The weekend was Head Coach Jennifer Carlson’s first having her own program. She saw a mixed bag with her team.
“This was a good experience for us as we had a chance to see where we were after camp,” Carlson said. “I saw some good things and some things that we need to work on.”
Next: William Penn returns to action next weekend at the Grinnell Labor Day Tournament. On Friday, the Statesmen meet Hamline (Minn.) at 2 p.m. and Minnesota-Morris at 4 p.m. On Saturday, WPU takes on Greenville (Ill.) at 9 a.m. and host Grinnell at 11 a.m.
