Mustangs Power Into Semifinal Round After Taking Down the Statesmen
| Final | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
William Penn (IA) (16-11) | 18 | 26 | 20 | 13 | 1 |
|
Mount Mercy (22-5) | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | 3 |
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - Mount Mercy's men's volleyball team advanced to the semifinal round of the Heart of America Athletic Conference Men's Volleyball Tournament after defeating sixth-seeded William Penn in four sets at home. The Mustangs topped the Statesmen with set scores of 25-18, 24-26, 25-20, 25-13.
From the opening serve, the Mustangs controlled the momentum. In the first set, they hit a match-high .393 with 14 kills while holding the Statesmen to a .067 hitting percentage to secure the 25-18 win.
The second set saw the momentum shift, as William Penn used a six-point run to tie the set at 20-20. Despite battling point for point, the Mustangs could not regain the lead and dropped the frame, 26-24.
Mount Mercy bounced back in set three, regaining their rhythm. Although the offense hit a match-low .056, the Mustangs' defense held the Statesmen to a -.030 hitting percentage to take the set, 25-20.
The Mustangs sealed the match with a dominant 25-13 win in the fourth set, securing a 3-1 victory and punching their ticket to the semifinals.
Guglielmo Illotti led the Mustang offense with 15 kills while hitting .128 and adding nine digs. Gabor Toth followed with 11 kills on a .147 clip and seven digs. The Mustang middle blockers were highly efficient, as Matthew Krzos hit .400 with nine kills, and Raphael Massara posted a team-high .636 with seven kills.
Gustavo Kehl Bauer guided the offense with 44 assists and added nine digs, while Richard Struska led the defense with 20 digs and two service aces.
William Penn was led by Ben Cemeno-Castillo, who recorded 13 kills on a .116 hitting percentage and contributed five blocks. Josh Bluhm added nine kills and hit .273 while also chipping in five blocks. Brady Zell led the offense with 31 assists and 12 digs, while Joao Gabriel Filippelli also posted 12 digs for the Statesmen.
Mount Mercy (22-5) will travel to St. Louis to face Missouri Baptist in the semifinal round on Wednesday, April 16. First serve is scheduled for 7 p.m.