Graceland Volleyball Falls in Three Sets to William Penn on the Road
OSKALOOSA, Iowa — The Graceland University women's volleyball team dropped its final road match of the 2025 season Tuesday night, falling in straight sets to William Penn University at the Penn Activity Center. The Statesmen claimed the Heart of America Athletic Conference victory by scores of 25-16, 27-25, 25-20.
With the result, Graceland falls to 7-21 overall and 3-14 in conference play, while William Penn improves to 17-16 (7-11 Heart).
Graceland battled through stretches of strong execution, particularly in the second set, where the Yellowjackets erased a multi-point deficit to push the frame to extra points. Despite the resilience, William Penn capitalized on a series of late errors and timely swings to close out the match in three sets.
Kaci Young led the Yellowjackets offensively, posting 9 kills on 30 attempts and adding a block assist to finish with 9.5 points. Grace Jensen added 7 kills, contributing across all phases with 9 digs and a block assist. Middle hitter Kaylee Baker was effective at the net, recording 5 kills and 3 block assists, and Kylee Dixon tallied 4 kills and 3 blocks to anchor the front line.
Despite a .333 hitting performance from Baker and a .100 clip from Young, the team hit just .009 overall (29 kills, 114 attempts, 29 errors) across the three sets. The first and third sets proved particularly challenging for the offense, with hitting percentages of -.094 and -.057, respectively.
From the service line, Shaeniah La Fountain and Allison Sander each recorded an ace, but the Yellowjackets committed 13 service errors as a unit — a key factor in the scoring disparity. Graceland's serve receive struggled early in the opening set, with William Penn gaining early momentum through aces and attack errors by the Jackets.
On defense, La Fountain led all players with 13 digs, while Sander added 3 assists and 3 digs. Kariana Hernandez Cruz facilitated the offense with 13 assists.
Graceland kept the second set competitive with efficient serving and strong net play. Back-to-back kills from Jensen and a service ace from Madi Bratlie sparked a 5-0 run to give the Jackets a brief lead midway through the set. Late in the frame, a kill by Dixon and a block from Baker tied the set at 24, but William Penn responded with two quick kills to close the set, 27-25.
In the third, Graceland rallied from a 6-1 deficit to take a brief 21-20 lead, with Young, Baker, and Dixon contributing key points during the stretch. However, service errors and a late kill by William Penn's Alix Robinson shifted momentum back to the home team, who closed on a 5-0 run to secure the match.
After the match, head coach Stew McDole reflected on the team's mixed performance, saying:
"A typical good and bad match for us. We know if we serve and pass well we compete. That was true in two sets tonight and it was both fun and exciting. That's who I am proud to say we are."
Despite the result, the Yellowjackets showed glimpses of what they're capable of when all phases are in sync. The second set in particular showcased the team's potential to compete within the conference when ball control and passing are consistent.
William Penn was led by Abigail Mitchell with 6 kills and 2 block assists, and Maju Vieira, who tallied 6 kills on 20 attempts. The Statesmen outhit Graceland .125 to .009, and collected 4 service aces with 46 team digs compared to Graceland's 38.
With the conference schedule winding down, Graceland looks to close the 2025 season on a high note.
Up Next: The Yellowjackets return home for their season finale on Friday, Oct. 31, taking on Grand View University at 7 p.m. CDT inside Morden Center in Lamoni, Iowa.
For more information on Graceland women's volleyball and all of Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.