Statesmen Edge Out Indiana Tech in Straight Sets

Fort Wayne, Ind.--The No. 5 William Penn men's volleyball team put together a strong all-around performance Friday night, sweeping No. 15 Indiana Tech 3-0 in a hard-fought road victory.

The Statesmen (3-3) controlled the match from start to finish, securing the win with set scores of 25-21, 25-19, and 29-27 against the Warriors (1-4).

William Penn wasted no time establishing momentum in the opening set, jumping out to a 9-4 lead. The Statesmen maintained their edge as both teams traded points before the Indiana Tech cut the gap to three. However, WPU answered with a quick scoring burst of its own and closed out the set 25-21.

The second set saw the teams battle to an early 4-4 tie before the Statesmen pulled ahead with a decisive five-point run. Despite the Warrior's efforts to keep pace, WPU's offensive efficiency shined, hitting at a .440 clip to claim a 25-19 win and a commanding 2-0 lead in the match.

The final set proved to be the tightest, with William Penn clinging to a narrow 6-4 advantage. The teams exchanged leads three times before the Statesmen strung together a crucial 5-1 run to go up 19-15. Indiana Tech refused to go down quietly, storming back with an 8-4 surge to tie the set at 23-23. In a tense back-and-forth finish, WPU held firm and finally sealed the match with a 29-27 triumph.

The Statesmen held a slight statistical edge, recording 41 kills while hitting at a .293 clip, compared to the Warriors' 36 kills and .177 attack percentage.

Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) led the offensive charge with a dominant 18-kill performance, swinging at a .410 rate. Andrija Miranovic (So., Podgorica, Montenegro, Business Management) and Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) each chipped in seven kills.

Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) orchestrated the attack with 33 assists, while João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) anchored the defense with a match-high 11 digs. Miranovic (9 digs) and Zell (7 digs) also provided key defensive contributions.

At the net, the Statesmen recorded 11 total blocks, with Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) leading the effort with six block assists. Beallis added four total blocks (three solo, one assist).

"Excellent team win tonight," said Head Coach Luke Bentley. "A lot of guys played a role in the win, and I'm proud of how they showed up."

Next Up: William Penn continues its weekend in Fort Wayne, taking on No. 9 Lawrence Tech Saturday at 2:00 p.m.