(Peru, Neb.) – Starting their first match of three weeks on the road, the Peru State volleyball team swept William Penn (WPU) in Oskaloosa, Iowa, Tuesday night.
 
The Bobcats won 25-20, 25-20, 25-22 to improve to 9-10 overall and 7-3 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart). The Statesmen fell for 7-16 on the season and are now 2-9 in conference action.
 
First Set Action
 
A kill by Mallory Matthies (Omaha) on an assist from Meg Grose (Peoria, Ariz.) started the set with a point for the 'Cats. After an attack error by William Penn, Kira Shapiro (Omaha) on an assist from Brooke Rudebusch (Moorpark, Calif.) gave Peru State a 3-0 advantage. WPU would come back to tie it at 3-3 and the set would later be tied four more times.

 
The last tie came at 12-12 before Matthies and Grose hooked up again to make it 13-12. The Bobcats would maintain their lead and stretched it to 22-17 before closing out the set with a kill by Alex Bowman (Thousand Oaks, Calif.) on an assist from Rudebusch.
 
Second Set Action
 
There were even more ties in the second set with the lead changing four different times. After being tied at 6-6, Claire Cudney (Marysville, Kan.) put down back-to-back kills – one from Grose and one from Rudebusch. Those Shapiro added a kill from Rudebusch and the 'Cats then led 9-6.
 
Peru State would maintain their lead until the Statesmen fought back to tie it at 17-17. A Cudney kill from Grose would break the tie, but WPU would come back to tie it again at 18-18. After William Penn eventually took a 20-19 lead, Peru State went on a 6-0 run to win the set. A Shapiro kill from Rudebusch tied it up and then later a Statesman attack error gave Peru State the 25-20 set win.

 
Third Set Action
 
The final set proved to have more ties and lead changes – almost as many as the first two sets combined. A Cudney kill from Grose started the set for the Bobcats, but WPU tied it at 1-1. The third set was tied at 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, and the last was at 20. A Bowman and Hannah Sexton (Beatrice) block put Peru State up for good at 21-20, but the Statesmen stayed closed as they were still within one at 23-22. A kill by Sexton on an assist from Rudebusch made it 24-22 and then a Statesman attack error gave Peru State the match.

WILLIAM PENN GAME BOOK
 
Statistics
 
The Bobcats' team goal for hitting is to be at .200 or above. They were exactly at .200 and when the team has hit that mark or better, they have won their matches. Peru State held WPU to a .028 hitting percentage.
 
Shapiro was the only hitter in double figures as she finished with 11 kills and hit a very respectable .391. Matthies, Cudney, and Nadja Janjevic (Podgorica, Montenegro) each had seven kills.
 
Rudebusch led all setters with 22 assists while Grose finished with 11.

 
Cristina Viera (Montevideo, Uruguay) had Peru State's only service aces on the night as she finished with two.
 
Viera also had a match-high 21 digs. Grose and Rudebusch each finished with six digs while Taylor Hogan (Pueblo, Colo.) added five.
 
Janjevic had solo block and two block assists to lead the team. Bowman added five block assists while Shapiro contributed four.
 
Upcoming Matches
 
Peru State has two more matches this week. On Friday, they will be in Atchison, Kan., to face Benedictine at 7 p.m. The Ravens had won four matches in a row before losing to Central Methodist (Mo.) Tuesday night at home. Benedictine is 13-6 overall and 6-5 in the Heart.
 
The next day the 'Cats will be in Olathe, Kan., to take on MidAmerica Nazarene at 1 p.m. The Pioneers gained a win Tuesday night over Evangel (Mo.) after having lost three conference matches in a row. MNU is now 12-8 on the year and are 7-4 in conference action.