(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 1)—The McKendree College volleyball team was swept in a best-of-five match Wednesday at home by Columbia College. The Cougars, ranked No. 6 in the latest NAIA poll, took the contest by scores of 30-21, 30-24 and 30-19.

 

McKendree drops to 24-15 overall and 8-5 in the American Midwest Conference. The Bearcats will close out the 2006 regular season on Saturday when they host William Woods University at 2 p.m. in the Melvin Price Convocation Center. Columbia, the AMC regular-season champion, improves to 34-4 on the year and 13-0 in AMC play.

 

Against Columbia, senior outside hitter Codi Dempster (Poplar Bluff, Mo./Twin Rivers) (Poplar Bluff, Mo./Twin Rivers) was the only Bearcat player to reach double figures in kills with 13. Senior libero Marcy Gibson (Carbondale, Ill./Salem) (Salem, Ill./Salem) added a team-leading 13 digs, while junior setter Allison DeGroot (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) chipped in with 27 assists.