Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 7)—The McKendree University volleyball team held a two-set lead Sunday in its home match against the University of Missouri-St. Louis, but the visiting Tritons rallied to pull out a five-set victory over the Bearcats. UMSL captured the match by scores of 23-25, 21-25, 25-23, 25-16 and 15-11.
 
McKendree, which was looking for a weekend sweep after defeating Maryville University on Saturday, drops to 7-12 overall and 3-6 in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. Missouri-St. Louis, which was playing its second five-set match in as many days, moves to 6-12 on the year and 5-4 in the GLVC. The Bearcats will return to action Friday at the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge in Aurora, Ill. The schedule for the two-day event is set to be released Sunday evening.
 
Junior outside hitter Maureen Nesbit (Belleville, IL/Althoff Catholic) led McKendree with 17 kills while adding 16 digs against UMSL. Freshman outside hitter Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) connected for 12 kills, while freshman middle hitter Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) chipped in with 10. Freshman right-side hitter Rachel Nelson (Papillion, NE/Papillion-LaVista South) registered a match-high eight blocks for the Bearcats.
 
There were a combined 11 ties and six lead changes in the first two sets, both of which ended in McKendree victories. UMSL led by as many as four points midway through the first set before the Bearcats rallied. McKendree scored eight of 12 points to pull even at 20-20, with Nesbit putting down a kill to knot the score. The teams traded points until kills by Nelson and Wessel, sandwiched around an attack error by the Tritons, sealed the set win for McKendree.
 
Missouri-St. Louis raced out to a 13-5 lead in the second set ahead of another Bearcat comeback. An 11-2 burst pushed McKendree in front for the first time in the set at 16-15. Junior setter Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) posted consecutive service aces to help spark the run for the Bearcats. McKendree trailed just once more the remainder of the set in taking a 2-0 set lead.
 
In the third set, McKendree built a 22-18 lead before UMSL turned the tables on the Bearcats with a late rally. The Tritons scored seven of the final eight points to finish off the contest and force a fourth set. UMSL dominated the fourth set, leading by as many as 10 points to force a deciding fifth set.
 
McKendree took a 3-1 lead in the deciding set thanks to a pair of kills by Nesbit and one by Nelson. UMSL rallied to build a 9-6 advantage before the Bearcats made one final run. McKendree scored four of the next five points to pull even at 10-10. After the teams traded points, the Tritons completed their comeback by reeling off the final four points to take the fifth set.
 
Hanger handed out 41 assists and had three service aces for McKendree, while junior libero Maddie Kelly (Lake Saint Louis, MO/Timberland) notched a team-best 20 digs. Junior hitter Meghan Dohogne (Cape Girardeau, MO/Notre Dame Regional) was right behind Kelly with 19 digs.
 
Liz Jaeger posted a match-high 24 kills to lead UMSL, while Lindsay Meyer collected 41 assists in the effort for the Tritons.