Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 (AURORA, Ill., Oct. 25)—The McKendree University volleyball team took one of two matches Friday in the first day of the 2013 GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge in Aurora, Ill. The event features teams from the Great Lakes Valley Conference squaring off against programs from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference in 48 matches spread over two days.
 
The Bearcats swept past Malone University in the first match of the day before being edged by the University of Findlay in the day's final contest. McKendree is now 7-16 overall and will wrap up its stay at the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge Saturday with a 1 p.m. match against Walsh University.
 
Freshman outside hitter Bailey Kampwerth (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) paced McKendree with 21 kills on the day, including 12 in the match against Findlay. Sophomore outside hitter Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) chipped in with 18 attacks, while freshman middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) connected for 16 kills. Freshman setter Rebecca Nauman (Yorkville, IL/Yorkville) handed out 38 assists, with 26 coming against Findlay. Fellow freshman setter Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) also helped out with 25 assists.
 
Senior libero Maddie Kelly (Lake Saint Louis, MO/Timberland) registered 51 digs in the two matches and moved into fifth place on the Bearcats' career list in the category. Kelly now has 1,115 digs in her two seasons at McKendree, and moved past Karen Eversgerd Hoelscher (1,096 digs) into the No. 5 spot.
 
McKendree opened the day with a late-morning match against Malone. After taking the first set handily, the Bearcats battled the Pioneers to the finish in the final two sets but prevailed in a sweep by scores of 25-20, 25-23 and 25-21.
 
The Bearcats never trailed in the first set, opening the contest by scoring seven of the first 10 points. McKendree led by as many as seven points in holding on to take a 1-0 lead in the match. In set two, neither team led by more than two points from start to finish. There were 14 ties and seven lead changes in the contest. With Malone holding a 22-21, Kampwerth put down a kill to knot the set at 22-22. Fairman gave the Bearcats a one-point lead with another kill before Malone tied the set one final time at 23-23. Wessel answered with an attack and an error from the Pioneers allowed McKendree to grab a two-set lead.
 
In the third set, McKendree grabbed an early lead before Malone fought back and eventually took a 20-19 lead. The teams traded points until a pair of kills from Wessel sparked a match-ending 4-0 run to give the Bearcats the sweep.
 
Fairman posted 11 kills and four blocks to lead McKendree, while Wessel connected for 10 attacks and three blocks. Howe had 15 sets and Kelly provided 19 digs.
 
Against Findlay, McKendree cruised to a 14-point lead in the first set and led 2-1 in the match before the Oilers rallied to grab the final two sets and the match. Findlay won by scores of 11-25, 25-23, 24-26, 25-22 and 15-8.
 
McKendree rolled to a 7-1 lead in the opening set and led by double digits for the final half of the set. Findlay recovered from a 6-2 Bearcat run to start the second set to chip away and eventually take the set to even the match at 1-1. The start of the third set resembled the first as McKendree jumped out to a 6-1 advantage. The Oilers battled back to seize the lead at 20-19. Findlay pulled out to a 24-22 lead and was serving for set point when McKendree roared back to take the final four points and steal the third-set win. A service ace from sophomore middle hitter Rachel Nelson (Papillion, NE/Papillion-LaVista South) capped the comeback and ended the set.
 
From there, Findlay was able to take control. The Oilers tied the match at 2-2 by taking the fourth set, then never trailed in the deciding contest to give McKendree the split on the day.
 
Kampwerth was the only McKendree to reach double figures in kills against Findlay with 12. Nauman handed out 26 assists, while Kelly notched a match-high 32 digs. Fairman led all players with eight blocks for the Bearcats.
 
Through one day of play at the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge, the GLVC holds a 13-11 lead. The GLVC is looking to capture its fourth consecutive Challenge title.