Statesmen Take Down Dordt in 3–1 Road Victory

Sioux Center, Iowa--The No. 6 William Penn men's volleyball team earned a 3–1 victory over Dordt in Heart of America Athletic Conference action Saturday.

William Penn (5–2, 2–1 Heart) secured the win with set scores of 21–25, 25–11, 25–19, and 25–21. The Statesmen were efficient offensively throughout the match, attacking at clips of .367, .591, .326, and .348 across the four sets.

The opening set featured a tight battle early, with the Statesmen holding a narrow 7–5 advantage before Dordt evened the score at 9–9 and again at 16–16. After the Navy and Gold moved ahead 18–16, the Defenders closed the frame on a 9–3 run to claim the first set.

William Penn quickly shifted momentum in set two. Leading just 6–5, the Statesmen surged ahead with a 12–5 run and never looked back, finishing the set on a dominant 13–4 stretch to even the match.

The third set remained competitive, but William Penn maintained control. Holding a 14–9 edge, the Statesmen weathered a Dordt push that cut the deficit to 16–14 before responding with four straight points to reestablish separation and take a 2–1 match lead.

Set four proved to be another battle. Tied at 9–9, Dordt briefly gained the advantage before the Statesmen answered to level the score at 15–15. A 4–1 run gave William Penn the cushion it needed, and the squads traded points down the stretch as the Statesmen held on to secure the road victory.

William Penn finished with a 57–43 advantage in kills and posted a .390 team attack percentage compared to .159 for Dordt. The Defenders committed 23 attack errors, while the Statesmen were charged with just 11.

Emilio Spanner (Jr., Sint Eustatius, Sports Management) led the offense with 20 kills on a .500 hitting percentage, while Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Sr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) added 17 kills.

Joao Gabriel Fillipelli (Jr., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) anchored the defense with 14 digs, and Brady Zell (So., Wales, Wis., Business Management) directed the attack with 44 assists.

"Another tough win on the road. Our guys continue to battle together," said Head Coach Luke Bentley. "Any conference win is a big win."

Next Up: The Statesmen open their home schedule against Clarke Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Penn Activity Center in Heart of America Athletic Conference play.