Statesmen Split Day Two at St. Ambrose Tournament

Davenport--The William Penn men's volleyball team wrapped up its campaign at the St. Ambrose Tournament with mixed results Saturday. The #5-ranked Statesmen battled hard in a 3-1 loss to Oakland City before bouncing back to secure their first victory of 2025, sweeping host St. Ambrose 3-0.  


WPU vs. OCU (3-1 Loss)

The Statesmen (0-2) fought through a tightly contested match but fell short against Oakland City (2-0), with set scores of 22-25, 21-25, 25-19, and 20-25. Offensive struggles hampered WPU, as they managed to hit above .100 in only one set, finishing with a .095 attack percentage overall.  

The opening set saw Oakland City take an early 4-1 lead before WPU responded to edge ahead 5-4. The teams traded points until the Mighty Oaks surged ahead with a decisive 9-3 run to claim the set 25-22.  

In the second set, the Statesmen clawed back from a 13-9 deficit to tie the score at 13-13, but Oakland City's late 4-0 push sealed another close win, 25-21.  

William Penn showed resilience in the third set, overcoming an early 10-5 deficit with a 10-2 run to take control at 15-12. The Statesmen extended their advantage to 19-13 and staved off a late rally by the Mighty Oaks to secure a 25-19 victory.  

The fourth set remained close early, tied at 10-10 before Oakland City edged ahead. WPU stayed within striking distance but couldn't regain the lead, ultimately dropping the set 25-20.  

Ben Cemeno-Castillo (Jr., Joliet, Ill., Business Management) led the offensive charge with 16 kills (.178 hitting percentage), while Sam Spaude (Sr., Cedarburg, Wis., Sports Management) and Britten Beallis (Jr., Naperville, Ill., Sports Management) added 10 and 9 kills, respectively. Despite tallying 42 kills, the Statesmen were hindered by 30 attack errors.  

Cezar Pedroso (Jr., Curitiba, Brazil, Computer Science) dished out 34 assists, while Joao Gabriel Filippelli (So., Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Business Management) anchored the defense with 11 digs. Ben Brinkman (Fr., Appleton, Wis., Undecided) was a force at the net with five blocks (three solo), with Beallis and Chase Alguire (Fr.,  Calgary, Alberta, Business Management) chipping in four block assists apiece.  

"Another tough battle today and we continue to see what it takes to play at this level with this group," said Head Coach Luke Bentley.


WPU vs. SAU (3-0 Win)

William Penn (1-2) rebounded strongly in their second match of the day, sweeping St. Ambrose (1-2) with scores of 25-16, 25-18, and 25-21. The Statesmen showcased significant offensive improvement, posting a .386 team attack percentage and committing just nine errors.  

The opening set saw St. Ambrose jump out to an 8-3 lead, but the Statesmen answered with a commanding 10-1 run to take control. WPU extended their advantage to 21-13 and cruised to a 25-16 victory.  

In the second set, a tight start gave way to a dominant 12-4 run by William Penn, turning an 8-8 tie into a commanding 20-12 lead. The Fighting Bees attempted a late rally, but the Statesmen closed out the set 25-18.  

The third set featured another strong performance from WPU. St. Ambrose tied the score at 1-1 but never tied the game again. The Statesmen methodically built their advantage and held off the Fighting Bees for a 25-21 win to complete the sweep.  

Spaude delivered a standout performance with 15 kills and a blistering .636 hitting percentage. Cemeno-Castillo added 11 kills, while the entire team minimized errors, a marked improvement from earlier in the day.  

Brady Zell (Fr., Wales, Wis., Business Management) orchestrated the offense with 39 assists, while Filippelli and Spaude led defensively with 11 and 7 digs, respectively. Brinkman continued his strong blocking effort with five block assists, while Spaude contributed four blocks (one solo, three assists).  

"It's a great way to finish the opening weekend," said Head Coach Luke Bentley. "I am proud of the guys for responding after a few tough matches."

Next Up: The Statesmen return to the Penn Activity Center for their home opener Friday, hosting Arizona Christian at 7:00 p.m.