Statesmen Sweep Arizona Christian in Home Opener

Oskaloosa--The No. 5-ranked William Penn men's volleyball team delivered a commanding performance Friday, sweeping RV Arizona Christian 3-0.

The Statesmen (2-2) set the tone early, claiming victory with set scores of 25-20, 25-16, and 25-19, while holding Arizona Christian (0-2) to a -.019 hitting percentage. WPU outhit its opponent .152 to -.019 in a well-rounded effort.

William Penn started strong in the opening set, racing out to a 6-2 lead, but the Firestorm responded with six unanswered points. Arizona Christian built a 17-11 advantage, but the Statesmen stormed back, tying the set at 18-18 before taking the lead at 19-18. A 6-1 closing run sealed the first-set victory.

The second set was all William Penn, as the team posted a .385 hitting percentage. The Statesmen quickly established a 12-7 lead before both teams exchanged points. A 6-1 WPU run extended the lead to 18-10, and the home squad carried that momentum to a decisive second-set win.

The third set featured a back-and-forth battle early, with both teams trading points. William Penn eventually took control, going on a 10-3 scoring run, highlighted by two service aces from João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) to put the match out of reach.

The Statesmen totaled 34 kills, led by Sam Spaude (Sr., Cedarburg, Wis., Sports Management) and Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management), who each recorded eight kills.  Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) tallied seven kills as he posted a .462 attack percentage, while Josh Bluhm (Fr., Lockport, Ill., Software Engineering) added six kills at a .500 clip.

Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) orchestrated the offense with 25 assists, while Filippelli and Cemeno-Castillo anchored the defense with 11 and nine digs, respectively. At the net, Beallis dominated with five blocks (two solo, three assists).

"Great team win by our guys to kick off our home campaign," Head Coach Luke Bentley said.  "Excited for the young guys who stepped up and contributed in a big way."

Next Up: The Statesmen will complete the doubleheader against Arizona Christian on Saturday at 10:00 a.m. in the Penn Activity Center.