A new school record was just what the Raven Volleyball team needed in a five-set thriller against William Penn University.

The 2019 home-opener saw the Ravens top the Statesmen 3-2 (25-11, 18-25, 26-24, 22-25, 15-10) and senior Fleur Wesselink record 29 kills, a new program record for kills in a single match.

The final set couldn't have started better for the Ravens as Paxton Throne scored the first three points of the set. Throne picked up a kill and a pair of aces as the Ravens raced out to an 8-2 lead. After Penn closed the gap to 8-6, the Ravens responded with two quick points to put distance between the teams again. They went on to win the final set by 5 points.

Wesselink got started on a new record early on Friday, picking up 7 kills in the opening set. Donetta Cage added a big-time kill in the first set, too. After Penn trimmed an early Ravens lead to just a 4-point lead, Cage's kill sparked a 12-2 run to finish out the first set in favor of the Ravens.

The Statesmen leveled the match by winning the second set, foreshadowing how things would play out the remainder of the match.

The Ravens and Statesmen went back-and-forth in the third set, finding themselves tied 8-8, 11-11, 15-15, 20-20 and 23-23. Wesselink closed out the set with a kill to give the Ravens a 26-24 win.

The Statesmen held a lead for a majority of the fourth set, but the Ravens battled back and took a 21-20 lead thanks to a Maria Duran ace. A 5-0 Penn run turned the tide and sent the match into the deciding fifth set that was dominated by the Ravens.

Along with her record-breaking 29 kills, Wesselink had a .429 attack percentage and had 21 digs. Throne had 47 assists, 7 kills and 4 aces. Duran recorded five aces in the match and Elizabeth Norbert assisted on 7 blocks. The Ravens had a .236 team attack percentage.

The win snaps a six-match losing streak and kick-starts a weekend full of volleyball on the Benedictine campus. The Ravens host (7) Grand View University and McPherson College beginning at noon on Saturday.