OOSKALOOSA, Iowa - The (RV) Ottawa Braves pushed one of the NAIA's top teams to the brink on the road, but came up just short in a five-set heartbreaker, falling 3-2 to (9) William Penn University on Tuesday night inside the Penn Activity Center

Set-by-Set Breakdown
Set 1: William Penn 25, Ottawa 20
The Braves came out aggressive, trading points early with kills from Petar Lazic and Marko Zolnjan. Ottawa held a brief 11-10 lead, but William Penn used a late run to create separation. Ottawa battled back to 20-24, but couldn't close the gap

Set 2: William Penn 25, Ottawa 15
Ottawa jumped out to an 8-3 lead behind strong serving from Leo Betin, but momentum shifted quickly. William Penn responded with a dominant run fueled by blocks and service pressure, taking control of the match with a decisive set win

Set 3: Ottawa 25, William Penn 23
The Braves regrouped and delivered one of their best offensive sets of the night. Ottawa hit .263 in the frame, with Lazic and Macort Pickup leading the charge. A late surge, including a service ace from Quentin Le Dortz, sealed the comeback set victory

Set 4: Ottawa 26, William Penn 24
Ottawa continued to apply pressure in a tightly contested fourth set. The Braves showed poise late, tying the set at 24 before back-to-back points secured the win. Clutch swings from Zolnjan and Pickup helped force a fifth set

Set 5: William Penn 17, Ottawa 15
In a dramatic final set, Ottawa built momentum midway through, taking a late lead. The Braves held strong through multiple ties, but William Penn capitalized in the closing moments to escape with the 17-15 win in extras Stats Recap

• Petar Lazic: 16 kills, 13 digs (double-double)
• Marko Zolnjan: 15 kills, 13 digs (double-double)
• Macort Pickup: 13 kills, 15 digs (double-double)
• Quentin Le Dortz: 46 assists, 10 digs, 2 service aces (double-double)
• Leo Betin: 23 digs, 1 service ace
• Andrew Ely: 5 block assists
• Ottawa finished with 56 kills and 55 assists
• Braves recorded 79 digs, showcasing strong defensive effort
• Team hit .112 overall

Who is Next
Ottawa (17-9, 10-7) returns to the court on Friday, April 3 against UHSP in St. Louis, Mo. The match is scheduled to begin at 7:00 p.m.