Box Score
COACH ORLET POST-GAME VIDEO

(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 21)—The McKendree University volleyball team went toe-to-toe with the No. 9-ranked team in NCAA Division II in its home opener Friday evening in Lebanon, but the visiting University of Indianapolis Greyhounds came away with a four-set victory over the Bearcats in Great Lakes Valley Conference play. UIndy won the match by scores of 25-23, 25-22, 21-25 and 25-19.
 
McKendree slips to 5-7 on the year and 1-3 in GLVC play. The Bearcats will look to bounce back Saturday afternoon when they host Saint Joseph's College in another GLVC contest set for a 3 p.m. first serve.
 
“I'm really proud of (our effort) tonight,” said McKendree head coach Lisa Orlet after the match. “They are ranked ninth in the country and run a really fast-paced offense, but our defense picked up, our blocking picked up, and I can't say enough about the way our girls stepped up tonight.”
 
Freshman outside hitter Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) led the charge for McKendree with a team-high 10 kills. Freshman middle hitter Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) battled to put down eight kills, while junior outside hitter Maureen Nesbit (Belleville, IL/Althoff Catholic) and freshman right-side hitter Rachel Nelson (Papillion, NE/Papillion-LaVista South) each connected for five attacks. Junior setter Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) handed out 28 assists as junior libero Maddie Kelly (Lake Saint Louis, MO/Timberland) registered a match-high 23 digs.
 
Up front, Apetz led all players with six blocks, while Nelson was right behind with five blocks, including three solos. Junior middle hitter Mel Duncan also contributed four assisted blocks in the match for McKendree.
 
McKendree held an early lead in the first set before Indianapolis (10-2, 4-0 GLVC) battled back. The Greyhounds scored six of seven points during one stretch to build a 16-11 lead. UIndy maintained a five-point bulge and was serving for set point when the Bearcats scored four straight points to pull within 24-23. But Indianapolis was able to outlast the Bearcats to hang on in the opener.
 
The Greyhounds looked to make quick work of McKendree in the second set, racing to a 12-4 advantage. The Bearcats chipped away at the deficit, pulling within 20-18 thanks to a service ace from Kelly. But once again, UIndy held off a late charge from McKendree to take a two-set lead.
 
In the third set, McKendree never trailed, leading by as many as six points against Indianapolis. Wessel had two kills during a 4-1 run that pushed the Bearcats out to a 19-13 advantage. The Greyhounds tried to rally, pulling within 22-20 before kills by Nesbit and Apetz sandwiched around an attack error from UIndy brought the Bearcats within 2-1.
 
McKendree appeared to be in position to tie the match, knotting the fourth-set score late on three different occasions, while taking a 19-18 lead. From that point, the Greyhounds reeled off the final seven points to close out the upset bid from the Bearcats.
 
UIndy's Kristina Kerrigan led all players with 25 kills on the night. Meghan Binkerd posted a match-high 50 assists in the victory, which was the seventh in a row for the Greyhounds.
 
The teams will meet again in the Bearcats' season finale on Nov. 10 in Indianapolis.