Statesmen Cruise to Victory Over Culver-Stockton

Oskaloosa--The No. 15 William Penn men's volleyball team dominated from start to finish, securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Culver-Stockton in Heart of America Athletic Conference play Saturday.

The Statesmen (9-6, 6-2 Heart) swept Culver-Stockton (1-16, 0-7 Heart) with set scores of 25-11, 25-21, and 25-20.

William Penn came out strong, jumping to an early 7-3 lead in the first set. They never looked back, continuing to control the pace and extending their lead to 15-8. A dominant 10-3 run to close the set, combined with a stellar .500 attack rate, helped the Statesmen clinch the first set with ease.

The second set saw the Wildcats fight back, starting strong with a 6-3 lead. However, William Penn quickly answered, tying the set at 6-6 before going on a 13-5 run. Culver-Stockton didn't back down, answering with a 7-1 streak of their own. Despite the back-and-forth action, the Statesmen regained their composure to win the set and take a 2-0 match lead.

In the third set, both teams exchanged points early, with William Penn holding a slim 10-7 advantage. The Statesmen then unleashed an 8-3 run to pull ahead 18-10. While the Wildcats made one final push with a 10-6 run, William Penn was able to hold off the rally, scoring the final point to seal the match.

Offensively, the Statesmen were firing on all cylinders, posting a .380 attack percentage, while Culver-Stockton struggled with a .097 rate. William Penn dominated in kills, finishing with a 44-34 advantage, and capitalized on Culver-Stockton's 24 attack errors compared to their own nine.

Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) led the way for the Statesmen with 13 kills on an impressive .650 hitting percentage. Andrija Miranovic (So., Podgorica, Montenegro, Business Management) and Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) each added 10 kills, with Miranovic also contributing a pair of service aces.

Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) orchestrated the offense with 39 assists, while Miranovic led the defense with 12 digs. Zell contributed seven digs, and João Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) added six.

"Great win today to rebound from last night," said Head Coach Luke Bentley.

Next Up: William Penn will travel to Cedar Rapids Tuesday for a 7:00 p.m. matchup against Mount Mercy in Heart of America action.