(DAVENPORT, Iowa, Oct. 24)—The McKendree University volleyball team split a pair of matches Saturday in the Saint Ambrose University Classic in Davenport, Iowa. The Bearcats went four sets in both matches, falling to host Saint Ambrose University in the opening contest before taking down Ashford University in the finale.
McKendree will take a 15-11 overall record into Tuesday's American Midwest Conference match at Columbia College. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
In the Saint Ambrose contest, McKendree jumped out to a fast start and won the first set. However, the Queen Bees regrouped to take the final three sets and the match. Saint Ambrose won by scores of 17-25, 25-21, 25-18 and 25-23.
Junior middle hitter Carrie Brickey (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) and junior outside hitter Tara Ryterski (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) each had a team-high 10 kills to lead the Bearcats. Sophomore right-side hitter Kaitlyn Kollmann (Collinsville, IL/Metro East Lutheran) (Collinsville, Ill./Metro-East Lutheran) added eight attacks. Brickey and Kollmann shared team-high honors with four blocks each.
Junior setter Alyssa Speckhals (Hermann, Mo./Hermann) (Hermann, Mo./Hermann) handed out 21 assists and sophomore setter Melissa Bayer (Collinsville, IL/Triad) (Collinsville, Ill./Triad) was next with 20 sets. Senior libero Lauren Sarver (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap) (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap) collected 21 digs in the match.
The Ashford match was a reverse image of Saturday's first contest for McKendree. The Bearcats dropped the first set before coming to life to sweep the final three sets for the win. McKendree took the match by scores of 19-25, 25-23, 25-20 and 25-20.
Tara Ryterski (Nashville, Ill./Nashville) paced McKendree with 11 kills. Junior middle hitter Ashley Perry (Sparta, Ill./Sparta) (Sparta, Ill./Sparta) posted eight kills and a match-high five blocks. Alyssa Speckhals (Hermann, Mo./Hermann) and Melissa Bayer (Collinsville, IL/Triad) each handed out 20 assists, while Lauren Sarver (Dunlap, Ill./Dunlap) had 21 digs for the second straight match.
McKENDREE UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL RESULTS
SATURDAY, OCT. 24, 2009 AT DAVENPORT, IOWA
Team 1 2 3 4
Saint Ambrose 17 25 25 25
McKendree 25 21 18 23
Team 1 2 3 4
McKendree 19 25 25 25
Ashford 25 23 20 20
McKendree is now 15-11 overall.
-McK-
