Eutectics Drop 4-set Match to Statesmen

ST. LOUIS, MO. – The Eutectic men's volleyball team hosted yet another top-20-ranked Heart of America Athletic Conference (HEART) opponent on Saturday afternoon in the UHSP gymnasium: the William Penn University Statesmen from Oskaloosa, Iowa. The Eutectics came out strong, but eventually fell in four sets to the Statesmen (13-8) with scores of 20-25, 27-25, 25-17, 25-19.

MATCH HIGHLIGHTS:

• The Eutectics blazed to a first-set win of 25-20, relying heavily on Grant Hoover's arm, which powered down five kills in the set along with three blocks from Cameron Werner.
• Riding the momentum into the second set, the Eutectics stayed right with the Statesmen, even taking a 24-22 lead. But, the Statesmen outlasted the UHSP team, winning the final three points to win 27-25 and split the first two sets.
• In the third and fourth sets, however, the Statesmen found their groove and paced the Eutectics. RJ Dilks' service ace opened the third set, but WPU followed up with back-to-back kills from Ben Cemeno-Castillo to gain a lead they would never release.
• Blocks and digs stats were similar for both teams. But the Statesmen, who gave up 25 points on service errors, finished with a .254 attacking percentage, while the Eutectics hit at .046.
• Hoover finished the match with 20 kills on 54 attempts. Dilks put up 29 assists; Xavier Gamayo collected 17 assists, and Werner tallied six block assists and one solo block.
• Cemeno-Castillo finished with 15 kills to lead the Statesmen.

NEXT UP:

The Eutectics, now 9-14 overall and 5-10 in the HEART, will try to snap a four-match losing streak when they host Missouri Valley College (14-2, 10-2 HEART) on Tuesday, Mar. 25, at 7 p.m. for another Conference matchup.