Mustangs Earn Fifth Consecutive Sweep with Win Over the Statesmen

CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa — Mount Mercy University (5-0, 1-0) kept their perfect streak alive with a straight-sets victory over William Penn University (3-2, 0-1), triumphing 25-16, 30-28, 25-18 at the Hennessey Rec Center on Tuesday night. This win marks the Mustangs' fifth consecutive sweep, underscoring their unwavering form. A balanced attack with a .265 hitting percentage propelled Mount Mercy to victory.

From the outset, Mount Mercy took control of the first set. The Mustangs capitalized on several attack errors by the Statesmen, quickly building a commanding lead. Curdin Acklin and Matthew Krzos were pivotal at the net with effective blocks, forcing William Penn into timeouts at 6-1 and 8-1. Guglielmo Illotti and Gustavo Kehl Bauer were crucial offensively, combining for key kills that contributed to the Mustangs' 25-16 set win, aided by William Penn's service and attack errors.

The second set was a nail-biter, with Mount Mercy edging out a 30-28 victory. The Mustangs took advantage of the Statesmen's mistakes, including a crucial service error, to maintain a slim lead. Kehl Bauer was instrumental, assisting on pivotal kills, including those by Gabor Toth and Illotti, who sealed the set with a decisive strike. Despite William Penn's tenacity, Mount Mercy's sharp offensive play made the difference.

In the third set, Mount Mercy closed out the match with a 25-18 win, thanks to steady offensive and defensive efforts. Krzos spearheaded the attack early with three kills, while Kehl Bauer orchestrated the offense, contributing to Illotti's four kills. Defensively, the Mustangs capitalized on William Penn's errors, recording six blocks to maintain their advantage.

Richard Struska anchored the defense with 17 digs and added two service aces. Illotti was the top scorer, delivering 12 kills on 29 swings, totaling 12 points. Krzos achieved an impressive .800 hitting percentage with eight kills on 10 attempts. Kehl Bauer facilitated the offense with 32 assists, complemented by eight digs and a solo block.

For the Statesmen, Britten Beallis was a defensive standout with seven blocks. Marton Sebestyen led offensively with 11 kills on 27 attempts, hitting .222. Brady Zell orchestrated the attack with 26 assists and contributed defensively with four blocks. Ben Cemeno-Castillo and Emilio Spanner each added eight kills, with Cemeno-Castillo also recording a block and Spanner contributing two block assists.

The Mustangs stand at 5-0 overall and 1-0 in conference play, while the Statesmen are 3-2 overall and 0-1 in the conference.

Next up, Mount Mercy will head to Lamoni, Iowa, to take on Graceland University on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m.