OSKALOOSA, Iowa – Goshen won two of their three games on the final day of the William Penn Invite, setting a program record for wins in a season in the process. Goshen defeated Morningside and Kansas Wesleyan in four sets each before losing to #2 William Penn in three sets.
 
The Maple Leafs won the first five points of the match against Morningside and won the first set 25-20. Goshen led 24-22 in the second set after a kill by Alexander Rabadzhiev, but the Mustangs scored three in a row and forced a GC timeout. The Leafs got a kill by Ian Fox, but Morningside scored the next two and won 27-25.
 
While the third set was close, Goshen never let the Mustangs lead and took the set 25-19. The fourth set was tight, but Goshen held the lead for the rest of the set after the teams were tied at 13. The Maple Leafs won the fourth set 25-22 and took the match 3-1.
 
Rabadzhiev posted a double-double with 15 kills and 11 digs, adding six blocks. Lucas Sauder led the team with 15 digs – a season-high for him. He also recorded two aces, four blocks, and ten kills. Michael Wahl had 46 assists, and Christian Rodriguez laid down 11 kills.
 
In the second match of the day, Goshen took on Kansas Wesleyan. The Maple Leafs got off to a quick 7-2 lead until the Coyotes won five straight points. KWU even had a three-point lead at one point, but Goshen came back to win the set 25-19.
 
Goshen led for nearly the entire second set, winning 25-20. The Coyotes controlled the third set, though, scoring the first four and building a 20-8 advantage. They won the set 25-17.
 
However, Goshen dominated in the fourth, leading 6-1 after a kill by Insee Akarapan and five more points while he served.  The Leafs won the fourth set 25-11 and the match 3-1.
 
Akarapan had four aces, seven kills, and seven digs. Pablo Sanchez led with 16 digs. Andrew Salinas had 24 assists. Juan Llama had eight kills, two aces, and a block. Lucas Sauder added ten kills.
 
"Lucas and Alex were huge for us, but we also saw Pablo get into the mix," said head coach Lauren Ford. "He's a great defender. Insee was also great energy for us."
 
The third match of the day was the most formidable opponent of the tournament. William Penn was the host and the second-best team in the NAIA. They came into the match with a 17-2 record. The Statesmen were 3-0 in the tournament, and Goshen was 4-0. Someone had to lose.
 
Tied at five in the first set, William Penn scored four in a row, leading to a Goshen timeout. The Leafs cut at the lead until they were down by two, 18-16. However, the Statesmen added five more points to lead 23-16 and eventually took the set 25-19.
 
Goshen never had a lead in the second or third sets, as William Penn only became more dominant o their home court. They won the second set 25-16 and the third set 25-10. They made it through their four games in the tournament without losing a single set.
 
Rabadzhiev had six kills and six digs. Wahl had 18 assists. Andy Bennett contributed three kills and was a part of three blocks.
 
Ford again emphasized her pride in the middle blockers. "Their hard work is really paying off on the court," she said.
 
"Michael is running a smooth offense. It really allowed us to see who we really are and what adjustments we need to make going into the last leg of the season."
 
With a 16-7 record now, Goshen has set the new season school record with 16 wins in the season. The previous record was 15 from both the 2021 season and the abbreviated 2020 season. Goshen's first season with men's volleyball was in 2019.
 
Goshen plays at Adrian College on Tuesday, March 8, 7:00 pm. Then the rest of the regular season is five WHAC matches.