(Peru, Neb.) – Despite playing their best all season long, the Peru State volleyball team came up just short in its upset bid Tuesday night in the Al Wheeler Activity Center.
 
While playing their division's second-best team, the Bobcats had the visiting William Penn (WPU) Statesmen on the rope for the entire match which lasted for over two hours.
 
The 'Cats took the first two sets 25-23 and 25-23 before William Penn came back to win the next two 25-22 and 25-19. The fifth and deciding set went back and forth before the Statesmen pulled out a 15-12 win.
 
With the victory, WPU improved to 12-4 on the season and 7-2 in the Heart of America Athletic Conference (Heart) North Division. Peru State fell to 1-11 on the year and are still looking for their first win in divisional play against nine losses.
 
First Set Action
 
The way the first set started, it did not appear that the Bobcats were going to be in the match as WPU reeled off the first four points. A kill by Tyra Mollhoff (Lincoln) off an assist from Hannah Burianek (Lincoln) put the 'Cats on the board. Cheyenne Birkle (Holden, Mo.) served up an ace to make it 4-2.

 
WPU would continue to lead and did until Arianna Waschowski (Bellevue) served an ace to tie it at 13-13 and then Sidney Peck (Manitoba, Canada) put down a kill to give Peru State its first lead of the match.
 
Peru State would eventually lead by four at 22-18 when Jaddy Duarte (Brasilia, Brazil) put down a kill from Hannia Rios (Toa Baja, P.R.). The Statesmen would tie it up at 22-22 before WPU had an attack error to give the Bobcats the lead. Another attack error by the Statesmen made it 24-22 before WPU pulled within one with a kill. One more attack error on WPU gave Peru State the 25-23 first set win.
 
Second Set Action
 
Duarte started things off with a kill off an assist from Rios to begin the second set. Back-to-back attacking errors by the Statesmen made it 3-0 Peru State. The rest of the set was tight throughout as there were 20 ties and neither team led by more than three at any one time.
 
WPU led 10-7 before Peck put down a kill from Burianek and then Rios had a setter dump to make it 10-9. Duarte and Rios hooked up again to tie it and then Duarte broke the tie with another kill – this time on an assist from Burianek to give the 'Cats an 11-10 lead.
 
Peru State's next three-point lead was at 16-13 after a Statesmen attack error. Later, WPU would lead by two at 22-20 before they had an unforced error. Jaime Copenharve (Omaha) would tie it with a kill on an assist from Rios.
 
A service error by the 'Cats gave the Statesmen the lead, but Duarte came back with another kill to tie it up. Birkle would get a mishit to fall for a point off an assist from Burianek. The final point of the set came on a WPU error.
 
Third Set Action
 
Peru State would never lead in the third set as William Penn built an eight-point lead at 16-8 before the 'Cats would slowly climb back into the contest and had opportunities late to potentially win.
 
A kill by Ofaloto Moungaafi (West Valley City, Utah) on an assist from Burianek would eventually tie it at 21-21. The Bobcats could never take the lead and eventually lost 25-22.
 
Fourth Set Action
 

Peru State's only lead in the fourth set came on a service ace from Burianek to make it 2-1. Five straight points by the Statesmen gave them a lead which the Bobcats would continue to climb back from. Later, Duarte put down a kill from Rios to tie it at 10 apiece.
 
Three straight service aces by the Statesmen kind of took the fight out of the Bobcats in the fourth set as WPU would go on to win 25-19.
 
Fifth Set Action
 
The Bobcats would jump out to a 4-0 lead in the deciding set forcing a WPU timeout. Another error by the Statesmen would make it 5-0 before William Penn would get on the scoreboard.
 
Peru State would maintain its lead until it was tied at 10-10. A WPU service error made it 11-10 Peru State before the Statesmen would knot the score with a kill. Again, the Bobcats could not retake the lead as William Penn would avoid the upset and win 15-12.

WILLIAM PENN GAME BOOK
 
Team Statistics
 
Neither team had an outstanding hitting percentage, but that was because both teams played pretty decent defense. WPU outhit the 'Cats .186 to .130 while collecting 65 kills compared to 53 for Peru State.
 
The teams had identical serving results as they each had seven service aces and eight service errors.
 
The Statesmen did finish with more digs at 108 compared to 95 for the Bobcats. The final blocking stats were the same for each team as they had three total team blocks.
 
Peru Individual Statistics

 
Duarte had her career best in a Peru State uniform as she finished with 16 kills while hitting an outstanding .314. Mollhoff and Pyper Roseberry (Papillion) each finished with eight kills while Moungaafi, Copenharve, and Peck each contributed six.
 
Rios dished out 23 assists while Burianek finished with 21.
 
Mattie Nichols (Auburn) and Burianek each had two service aces while Birkle, Waschowski, and Alyssa Bock (Plattsmouth) each added one.
 
Birkle and Waschowski both had 17 digs to lead the team. Nichols finished with 15 while Burianek contributed 13. Rios was also in double figures with ten.
 
Roseberry was credited with one solo block. Duarte had two block assists with Copenharve and Peck each adding one block assist.
 
Upcoming Contests
 
Peru State has two more home contests this week.
 
Thursday night, the Bobcats will host non-conference opponent Morningside (Iowa) with a junior varsity game beginning at 5 p.m. with the varsity to begin at 7 p.m. The Mustangs are 7-8 on the season.
 
On Friday at noon, Peru State will be having a varsity only match against Culver-Stockton (Mo.) in Heart North Division play. The Wildcats are 2-9 overall and are 2-6 in the conference. Prior to the match Peru State will celebrate its senior day.