Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 30)—Freshman middle hitter Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) and junior outside hitter Maureen Nesbit (Belleville, IL/Althoff Catholic) combined to put up big numbers in leading the McKendree University volleyball team to a four-set victory Tuesday at home against Bellarmine University. The Bearcats took the best-of-five match by scores of 26-24, 20-25, 25-21 and 25-19.
 
Apetz recorded team-high totals of 19 kills and seven blocks, while Nesbit added a double-double with 14 kills and 17 digs as the Bearcats avenged an early-season loss to the Knights. McKendree moves to 13-14 overall and improves to 7-7 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. The Bearcats will host Kentucky Wesleyan College Friday in another GLVC match set for a 7 p.m. start.
 
Freshman outside hitter Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) chipped in with 13 kills in the effort for McKendree. Junior setter Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) handed out 44 assists and posted 10 digs, while junior libero Maddie Kelly (Lake Saint Louis, MO/Timberland) helped out with 17 digs. Freshman right-side hitter Rachel Nelson (Papillion, NE/Papillion-LaVista South) and freshman hitter Taylor Voss (Breese, IL/Breese Central) each put down six blocks for the Bearcats.
 
McKendree trailed for the majority of the first set and fell behind 17-10 following a 6-1 run by Bellarmine. The Bearcats answered by reeling off nine of the next 11 points to tie the contest at 19-19. McKendree grabbed its first lead of the set at 22-21 thanks to a kill by Nelson. The visiting Knights battled back and forged a 24-23 lead and held the serve for set point. But the Bearcats used a kill by Wessel, an attack error by Bellarmine and a service ace from Nelson to rally for the win in the opener.
 
Bellarmine (15-6, 10-4 GLVC) bounced back with a five-point victory in the second set and led in the early stages of the third set. McKendree battled back to knot the set at 17-17 before scoring the next four points to take the lead for good. Voss had a service ace during the spurt, while Wessel finished off the burst with a kill as the Bearcats took the set by four points.
 
McKendree controlled the fourth and final set, using a run of four consecutive points to take an early 5-3 lead. The Bearcats never trailed again, leading by as many as six points in coasting to the win to finish off the set.
 
Alyson Harmeling recorded a match-high 24 kills to lead Bellarmine, while Bailey BredenbeckCorp handed out 51 assists for the Knights. With the win, McKendree avenged a four-set loss to Bellarmine back on Sept. 18 in Louisville, Ky.