Yellowjackets Battle Through Second Day at William Penn Invitational
OSKALOOSA, Iowa — The Graceland University women's volleyball team concluded its weekend at the William Penn Invitational on Saturday with two challenging matches, falling to Mount Marty in four sets before dropping a three-set contest to Dordt.
With the results, the Yellowjackets move to 3-7 overall (0-0 Heart of America Athletic Conference). Mount Marty improved to 6-1 overall (0-0 GPAC), while Dordt advanced to 5-2 overall (0-0 GPAC).
Head coach Stew McDole reflected positively on the weekend despite the outcomes. "Honestly, I am pleased and upbeat about the weekend," McDole said. "We probably played too much. We were and probably are too tired. The upsides for me: we are already more a team than in recent years and we felt we competed well with four teams from the GPAC, arguably the best NAIA volleyball conference in the country."
Match One: Mount Marty 3, Graceland 1 (25-13, 21-25, 25-15, 25-22)
The morning matchup against Mount Marty showed resilience from the Yellowjackets, who responded to a lopsided first set loss by claiming the second set 25-21. Graceland used aggressive serving and strong side-out efficiency to even the match.
Grace Jensen led the team with 11 kills, three service aces, and 15 digs, finishing with 14.5 total points. She was supported by Kaylee Baker's nine kills and three solo blocks, contributing 12.5 points. Kaci Young added eight kills on 36 attempts with seven digs.
The most notable run came late in set two, when Graceland held off Mount Marty with consecutive service aces from Allison Sander, who finished with six aces on the day. Sander added 12 assists and seven points in total.
Defensively, Faith Case anchored the back row with five digs, while Amelie Heinzmann contributed 10 assists.
Although Graceland fell short in sets three and four, they pushed Mount Marty to the brink in the final frame, trailing just 23-22 before the Lancers secured the final two points.
Match Two: Dordt 3, Graceland 0 (25-17, 25-19, 25-16)
In the afternoon contest, Graceland faced Dordt, a perennial GPAC contender. The Defenders' efficient attack proved decisive, hitting .292 as a team with 42 kills.
Graceland countered with 27 kills on the match, led again by Jensen's 10 kills on 24 attempts while hitting .333. Jensen also recorded 11 digs for her second double-digit dig performance of the day.
Baker and Young combined for nine kills, while Baker also tallied a block solo and block assist. Setter Kariana Hernandez Cruz finished with 12 assists and three digs.
While the Yellowjackets struggled to maintain hitting consistency, they improved set by set in serve-receive. Graceland's second set showed its most efficient offensive rhythm, hitting .333 with 11 kills on 27 attempts. Dordt, however, responded with balance across its front line, led by Tarren Spartz with nine kills and Laney Wolfswinkel with seven.
The third set saw Graceland trail early, and despite a late push fueled by kills from Jensen and Baker, Dordt closed out the match 25-16.
Day Two Recap
Across the two matches, Jensen finished with 21 kills, 26 digs, and three aces, solidifying her role as the team's two-way leader. Baker added 13 total kills and four blocks, while Sander provided 18 assists and seven service aces.
The Yellowjackets ended tournament play at 3-7 but displayed measurable growth against high-level opponents from the GPAC. The weekend provided Graceland with four matches in two days, including a five-set victory on Friday night that stretched the team's endurance.
Coach McDole emphasized the developmental value of the weekend. "We competed well against teams that historically have success at the national level," he said. "The challenge now is to recover and build on the lessons we've taken from these matches."
Next Match
The Yellowjackets return home to Lamoni, Iowa, on Tuesday, Sept. 2, for a 7 p.m. matchup against Haskell at the Morden Center.
For more information on Graceland women's volleyball and all Graceland athletics, visit GUjackets.com.