Statesmen Fall in NAIA Pool Play Opener to Mustangs

Cedar Rapids, Iowa--The No. 10-ranked William Penn men's volleyball team battled early but ultimately dropped a 3-0 decision to No. 2 The Master's University Tuesday in the opening match of NAIA National Championship pool play.

The Statesmen (18-8) fell to the Mustangs (23-1) by set scores of 23-25, 17-25, and 16-25. William Penn showed flashes offensively throughout the contest, hitting .250 as a team, but The Master's used an efficient attack and strong serving performance to take control late in each set.

William Penn came out strong in the opening frame, building a 10-7 advantage before extending the lead to 16-10 and forcing a Mustang timeout. The Master's responded with a momentum-shifting 14-5 run to move in front 24-21. The Statesmen fought off two set points, but the Mustangs eventually closed out the opener 25-23.

The second set saw The Master's grab an early 11-6 lead. William Penn answered with consecutive points out of a timeout to stay within striking distance, but the Mustangs quickly regained momentum with a four-point run to stretch the advantage to 15-8. The two teams traded points through the remainder of the set, but William Penn was unable to erase the deficit as The Master's secured a 25-17 win.

In the third set, the Mustangs again jumped ahead early, opening with an 8-3 run. The Statesmen answered with a push of their own, trimming the deficit to 13-11 and keeping the set competitive midway through. However, The Master's used a 7-1 run to create separation before finishing the match with a 25-16 set victory.

The Mustangs finished with a 43-27 edge in kills and posted a .372 team hitting percentage, including a blistering .588 mark in the final set. The Master's also created pressure from the service line, recording 10 aces.

Marton Sebestyen (Fr., Gyenesdias, Hungary, Business Management) led the Statesmen with 11 kills on a .360 hitting percentage. Tommy Fellows (So., Shorewood, Ill., Exercise Science) and Emilio Spanner (Sr., Sint Eustatius, Sports Management) followed with five kills apiece.

Brady Zell (So., Wales, Wis., Business Management) recorded 25 assists to pace the offense. Defensively, Joao Gabriel Filippelli (Jr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management), Spanner, and Zell each tallied four digs.

At the net, Britten Beallis (Sr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) and Fellows each contributed two block assists.

"Tough match for us today," said Head Coach Luke Bentley. "The Masters is the strongest opponent we've played all year, and I was proud of how hard we battled. Need to get ready for another test tomorrow."

Next Up: The Statesmen conclude NAIA National Championship pool play Wednesday at 1 p.m. against No. 7 University of St. Thomas in Cedar Rapids.