(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 18)—The McKendree University volleyball team grabbed a pair of victories on Saturday in a tri-match at the Melvin Price Convocation Center. The Bearcats outlasted American Midwest Conference rival William Woods University in four sets before taking down Benedictine University at Springfield in a three-set sweep in the final match of the day.
The two wins give McKendree a 9-5 overall record. The victory over William Woods pushes the Bearcats to 2-1 in AMC play. McKendree will continue its homestand on Wednesday with a non-conference match against Fontbonne University. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
McKendree opened Saturday's play with its AMC match against William Woods. The teams split the first two sets before the Bearcats grabbed the lead with a win in the third set. The visiting Owls appeared to be on the verge of sending the contest to a fifth and deciding set before McKendree reeled off the final five points of the fourth set to rally for a victory. The Bearcats took the match by scores of 25-21, 22-25, 25-20 and 26-24.
In the fourth set, McKendree trailed 24-21 when the Bearcats bounced back to win three straight points to tie the set at 24-24. Junior right-side hitter Nadia Moore (Cahokia, Ill./Cahokia) (Cahokia, Ill./Cahokia) picked up the kill that tied the game. After taking a 25-24 lead, McKendree won the fourth set and the match thanks to a kill by senior middle hitter Ashley Perry (Sparta, Ill./Sparta) (Sparta, Ill./Sparta).
Moore registered a season-high 13 kills to lead the way for McKendree. Senior middle hitter Carrie Brickey (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) finished with 10 attacks and a team-best 17 digs. Senior defensive specialist Lindsey Gray (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon) (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon) and junior libero Savannah Jarvis (Mascoutah, IL/Mascoutah) (Mascoutah, Ill./Mascoutah) each chipped in with 15 digs.
Senior setter Alyssa Speckhals (Hermann, Mo./Hermann) (Hermann, Mo./Hermann) handed out 16 assists as junior setter Melissa Bayer (Collinsville, IL/Triad) (Collinsville, Ill./Triad) was right behind with 14 sets. Gray also collected a match-high four service aces in the win for McKendree.
McKendree had a much easier time in the match with Benedictine-Springfield. After rolling to a 25-11 win in the first set, the Bearcats continued their momentum and finished off the sweep by posting scores of 25-13 and 25-8 in the final two sets.
Ashley Perry (Sparta, Ill./Sparta) paced McKendree with 10 kills, while Carrie Brickey (St. Louis, Mo./Rosati-Kain) chipped in with six. Alyssa Speckhals (Hermann, Mo./Hermann) registered 11 assists as Lindsey Gray (Lebanon, Ill./Lebanon) collected 13 digs.
McKENDREE UNIVERSITY VOLLEYBALL RESULT
SATURDAY, SEPT. 18 AT LEBANON, ILL.
Team 1 2 3 4
McKENDREE 25 22 25 26
William Woods 21 25 20 24
Team 1 2 3
McKENDREE 25 25 25
Benedictine-Springfield 11 13 8
McKendree is now 9-5 overall and 2-1 in the American Midwest Conference
