GLVC/GLIAC CROSSOVER CHALLENGE WEBSITE

(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 12)--The McKendree University volleyball team will take on a trio of opponents this weekend at the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge. The 32-team tournament featuring 16 schools from the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) and Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) will be held Friday and Saturday at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, Ill. The GLVC is serving as the host of the event.

The Bearcats are scheduled to face Lake Erie College for their lone match on Friday at 2:30 p.m. McKendree will then close out the weekend with matches on Saturday against Walsh University at 10 a.m. and versus Malone University at 4 p.m. The format of the event has a GLVC institution playing a GLIAC school in head-to-head competition in each scheduled match over the two days. The conference with the best overall record for the weekend will earn the Crossover traveling trophy. The GLVC has earned possession of the trophy in each of the last two years as the league held a 29-19 advantage in last year's contests.

Live stats of the Bearcats' Friday match with Lake Erie and the Saturday contest against Malone will be available. The links can be found on the McKendree volleyball schedule, as well as on the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge website above.

McKendree brings a 7-12 overall record and 3-6 GLVC mark into the Crossover Challenge. The Bearcats split a pair of GLVC cross-division home matches last weekend as they swept Maryville University on Oct. 6 before dropping a tough five-set loss to the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Oct. 7.

Lake Erie College has a 3-12 overall record entering this weekend's play, while the Storm is 0-9 in the GLIAC. Junior outside hitter Jamie Hoppe leads Lake Erie with 105 kills on the year. Walsh University is 5-9 this season and 3-6 in GLIAC play. The Cavaliers are led by senior outside hitter Julianne O'Donnell, who has registered 155 kills. Malone University has posted a 9-7 record so far in 2012, while the Pioneers are 4-5 in the GLIAC. Junior middle hitter Lauren Townley leads a balanced attack with 149 kills.

Following the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge, McKendree will have just nine matches left in its 2012 season. The Bearcats will be on the road next weekend for their final cross-division contests of the season, beginning with an Oct. 20 battle at the University of Illinois Springfield.