Storm split on first day of Simpson Invitational

INDIANOLA, Iowa - The Simpson volleyball team split action on the first day of the Simpson Invitational on Friday, beating William Penn 3-2 (25-19, 18-25, 25-22, 15-25, 15-5) and losing to Nebraska Wesleyan 3-1 (22-25, 27-25, 25-21, 25-12).

Steph Keller's 33 kills led the host Storm (9-15) in the 24th playing of the Simpson Invitational. Megan Dunlavy had 28 kills and Haley Danforth added 22.

Simpson's first match was a back-and-forth affair with William Penn. Keller and Dunlavy did the heavy lifting agianst the Statesmen, totaling 18 and 17 blocks, respectively. Dunlavy hit a team-high .341 and Danforth chipped in with 12 kills.

The Storm started off strong against the Prairie Wolves but wore down in the final three sets. As a team, Simpson registered only seven kills apiece in the final two sets and compiled an attack percentage of .000. Keller again led the team with 15 kills, followed by Dunlavy's 11 and Danforth's 10.

Ashley Padget handed out 83 assists on the day and Audrey Schuttler led the team with 34 digs.

Simpson returns to action Saturday when it takes on No. 12 St. Thomas at 12:15 p.m. and finishes with Loras at 2:30.

View the tournament web page here.