(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 16)—The McKendree University volleyball team gave No. 7-ranked Columbia College all it could handle before falling to the visiting Cougars Tuesday in American Midwest Conference action at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. Columbia swept the best-of-five match by scores of 25-22, 25-22 and 25-19.

The loss is the first of the season for McKendree in AMC play. The Bearcats are now 5-4 overall and 1-1 in the league, while Columbia improves to 9-1 on the season and 2-0 in the AMC. McKendree will jump back into conference play Thursday at Missouri Baptist University. First serve is set for 7 p.m.

Sophomore middle hitter Carrie Brickey (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) led McKendree with six kills, while senior middle hitter Katelyn Kombrink (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) (O'Fallon, Ill./O'Fallon) and junior outside hitter Dani Collins (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg) (Freeburg, Ill./Freeburg) each chipped in with five attacks and four blocks. Senior setter Dana Maedge (Highland, Ill./Highland) (Highland, Ill./Highland) and freshman setter Melissa Bayer (Collinsville, IL/Triad) (Collinsville, Ill./Triad) handed out 10 assists apiece, and junior libero Lauren Sarver (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap) (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap) collected a team-best 13 digs for the Bearcats.

McKendree led for the majority of the first set before Columbia managed to tie the contest at 18-18. The Bearcats responded by scoring the next three points for a 21-18 advantage. Kombrink and freshman Kaitlin Kollman (Collinsville, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) combined for a block to cap the run for McKendree. However, Columbia rallied and scored seven of the final eight points to escape with the win.

The second set was nearly a carbon copy of the first. The Bearcats led for the early portion of play until the Cougars pulled even at 14-14. The teams traded points before McKendree edged out to a 20-19 lead. Columbia pulled out to a two-point advantage before a kill by junior outside hitter Andrea Lucas (Festus, Mo./Festus) (Festus, Mo./Festus) brought the Bearcats within 22-21. But the Cougars were able to scratch out three of the final four points for the victory.

Columbia set the pace in the third and final set and led by as many as nine points before sealing the win. Flavia Lino led the Cougars with 14 kills, while Luana Branco, the 2007 AMC Player of the Year, dished out 40 assists.

McKENDREE UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL RESULT

TUESDAY, SEPT. 16 AT LEBANON, ILL.

Team                            1          2          3

Columbia                      25         25         25

McKendree                   22         22         19

McKendree is 5-4 overall and 1-1 in the American Midwest Conference

Columbia is 9-1 overall and 2-0 in the American Midwest Conference

-McK-