Yellowjackets Fall in Straight Sets to Statesmen at Home

LAMONI, Iowa – The Graceland University women's volleyball team fell in straight sets to William Penn University on Tuesday evening inside Closson Center. The Yellowjackets dropped the Heart of America Athletic Conference matchup by scores of 25-20, 26-24, 25-12.

With the result, Graceland moved to 4-10 overall and 0-3 in conference play, while William Penn improved to 12-5 overall and 2-0 in the Heart.

Match Summary

William Penn established control early in the opening set with an efficient offensive rhythm, totaling 15 kills and hitting .179. Graceland countered with six kills but committed five attack errors, finishing at .030. The Yellowjackets closed the gap late behind service aces from Allison Sander, but the Statesmen secured a 25-20 win.

Set two proved to be the most competitive of the evening. Graceland tallied 11 kills on 45 swings while William Penn recorded 14 kills and limited errors to hit .186. The Yellowjackets forced extra points after a late rally fueled by Grace Jensen's service ace and back-to-back kills. However, William Penn edged out the set 26-24 following a sideout and attack error.

In the third frame, William Penn delivered its most decisive performance, producing 13 kills on a .524 clip. Graceland's offense struggled to find rhythm, recording five kills against seven errors to finish at -.071. The Statesmen closed out the match with a 25-12 set victory.

Statistical Leaders

Graceland was led by Kaci Young, who recorded eight kills on 27 attempts, hitting .222 while adding two block assists. Grace Jensen added five kills and two block assists, finishing with seven points. Sander contributed six service aces and nine assists to pace the Yellowjacket attack.

Defensively, Graceland posted 42 digs, led by Shaeniah La Fountain with nine. Jensen chipped in 13 digs, while Kaya Caprini also tallied 13. At the net, the Yellowjackets registered 10 total blocks, highlighted by Kaylee Baker's four block assists.

William Penn finished the match with 42 kills and a .252 hitting percentage. The Statesmen were led by Abigail Mitchell, who posted 11 kills on a .318 hitting efficiency. Maju Vieira added seven kills and four service aces, while setter Mia Brady distributed 13 assists and collected nine digs.

Head Coach's Perspective

Following the match, Graceland head coach Stew McDole credited William Penn's quality and addressed his team's adjustments.

"Penn is good. They are a legit candidate for postseason. I like their team and they are well coached," McDole said. "For our part we made major passing and offensive systems changes just last night in practice. At some level we paid the learning curve price for those changes. More than I expected. We draw them again in October and will be looking forward to it."

Team Records and Context

Looking Ahead

Graceland returns to action on Thursday, Sept. 11, traveling to face Culver-Stockton College in a conference road matchup. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m. CDT at Charles Field House in Canton, Missouri.

For more information on Graceland women's volleyball and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.