WPU Claims Fifth Win Over Ranked Foe in Battle with Spartans

Oskaloosa--The Statesmen men's volleyball team overcame a slow start to defeat #8 Missouri Baptist 3-1 in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Friday.

#5 William Penn (9-2, 4-1 Heart), which won by scores of 16-25, 25-19, 25-21, 25-22, posted a hitting edge of .208-.156.

Following a block by Charlie Figy (Sr., Appleton, Wis., Secondary Education PE K-12) and Cezar Pedroso (So., Curitiba, Brazil, Software Engineering), the navy and gold were up 6-2 early in the opening set.  Unfortunately, the Spartans (11-3, 1-3 Heart) caught fire and won 12 of the next 14 points and rolled to the win.

The huddle between the first and second set was exactly what the Statesmen needed to calm their nerves in another top-10 battle (WPU is now 5-1 in such bouts).  Beallis recorded back-to-back kills to start the second round as the home crew scored the first four points and eventually blew out to an 11-1 advantage.

Up by as many as 12 points, the Statesmen allowed MBU to make it interesting, but a pair of winners from Figy helped William Penn secure the set and tie the match at 1-1.

The third set was completely different than the prior two as the sides were deadlocked throughout, highlighted by 13 ties.  At 17-17, the navy and gold finally got separation with claiming four of the next five points for a 2-1 edge on the evening.  After permitting Missouri Baptist to hit .303 in the first set, WPU put up a formidable defense that kept the Spartans to .050 and .089 in the second and third sets, respectively.

The visitors actually owned a .261-.250 attacking advantage in the fourth go-round, but William Penn nearly doubled up MBU in kills at 16-9.  Another tight set ensued with the teams finding themselves tied on 16 occasions, including at 20-20.

Although he was quieted for much of the affair, Ike Papes (Sr., Elwood, Ill., Sports Management) stepped up in the clutch with two of the next three points and the home squad held on for the victory.  The senior, who scored the winning point in the third set, managed four of his 10 kills in the fourth.

Landon Krause (Sr., Appleton, Wis., Business Management) guided WPU with a double-double of 13 kills and 14 digs, while also recording six block assists.  Overall, the Statesmen had 12 blocks, compared to eight for MBU.

Beallis matched Papes with 10 kills, while Devyn Zavala (Sr., Long Beach, Calif., Wellness and Recreation) and Figy (team-high .500 attacking mark) contributed seven each.

Pedroso, starting in place of an injured Matt Helmick (Sr., Fullerton, Calif., Business Management), performed admirably with 40 assists, six digs, and three block assists.

The contest featured two hard-serving teams that were limited to just two aces each.  Joao Gabriel Filippelli (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) also reached double figures in digs with 12, while Beallis (six block assists) and Figy (five assists) were both excellent at the defensive net as well.

"I am proud of our group for getting this big win tonight," Head Coach Luke Bentley said.  "I am especially proud of Cezar Pedroso as he stepped up into a huge role to guide us to victory."

Next Up: William Penn remains in Oskaloosa Saturday to host a triangular.  The Statesmen first meet Health Sciences and Pharmacy (Mo.) in Heart play at 11 a.m.  Then, after the neutral match, WPU will take on Morningside in non-conference action at 5 p.m.