Oskaloosa.com

September 19, 2012

William Penn takes down pair in Nebraska triangular


William Penn University

OMAHA, Neb. — The Lady Statesmen volleyball team swept two teams at a triangular hosted by the College of Saint Mary (Neb.) Tuesday.

William Penn (12-6) defeated host CSM 3-1 (25-20, 25-23, 22-25, 25-19) and then won 3-0 over York (Neb.) (25-8, 25-18, 25-8).

Lacey Taylor topped the Lady Statesmen with 14 kills against the home team, while Katie Rielly and Jeanette Cunningham reached double figures as well, posting 12 and 10 kills, respectively.

Courtney Kennedy, with seven kills, and Dayna Sammons , with six winners, also produced offensively. Sammons recorded 38 assists.

Danielle Breeher managed 20 digs, while Cunningham had three blocks (one solo, two assists). The Lady Statesmen hit .193 in the win.

The bench was emptied in the thrashing of York as Taylor led the offense with seven kills. Cunningham added six winners, while Sammons assisted on 17 points. The sophomore setter was amazing at the service line, tying the program’s single-match record with seven aces. The last time a player had seven aces was in 2005 (Sheila Mercado vs. Waldorf).

Rielly added four aces as well (three for Taylor), while Breeher dug nine attack attempts. William Penn posted a .344 attack percentage in the sweep.

“We started slower than we would have liked, but won the big points when needed,” Penn coach Jeremy Wise said. “In the York match, we limited our errors, made smarter shots, and served aggressively. It was good to see us finish with some intensity and get another win streak started.”

William Penn travels to Galesburg, Ill., to compete in the Knox Tournament this weekend. The squad opens Friday against host Knox at 3 p.m. and then faces Buena Vista at 7 p.m. On Saturday, the Lady Statesmen meet Monmouth (Ill.) at 10 a.m. and Lincoln Christian (Ill.) at 2 p.m.