Box Score (KANSAS CITY, Mo., Nov. 10)—The McKendree University volleyball team saw its four-game win streak come to an end Sunday when the Bearcats were swept by Rockhurst University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match. Rockhurst, the No. 25-ranked team in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) NCAA Division II poll, took the contest by scores of 25-21, 25-21 and 25-18.
McKendree slips to 11-17 overall and 6-9 in the GLVC with Sunday's loss. The Bearcats will hit the road for the final time in the 2013 regular season on Tuesday to take on the University of Illinois Springfield. First serve is set for 7 p.m.
Sophomore outside hitter
Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) put down a match-high 15 kills to lead McKendree against Rockhurst. Wessel also had four assisted blocks in the match. Freshman middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) helped out with 13 attacks and a team-leading five blocks. Fairman hit .400 against the Hawks, while Wessel posted a .379 hitting percentage.
Freshman setter
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) distributed a team-leading 22 assists, while
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) added 17 sets. Senior libero
Maddie Kelly (Lake Saint Louis, MO/Timberland) notched a match-high 17 digs for the Bearcats.
Rockhurst (23-5, 13-2 GLVC) grabbed the lead early in the first set and was able to hold off a late rally from McKendree to win the opener. The Hawks led 23-15 when the Bearcats scored six of the next seven points to pull within 24-21. Wessel led the charge with four kills during the run. But Rockhurst was able to dodge a McKendree attack error to take the first set.
McKendree grabbed a lead eight different times during the second set, the last coming at 18-17. Rockhurst took command late in the set, scoring five of the final six points to build a two-set lead. Wessel had back-to-back kills to open the third set for the Bearcats, but the Hawks quickly grabbed the lead and used a 10-2 run to take a 13-6 lead. The Bearcats clawed back by scoring the next three points that were part of an 8-2 burst to bring McKendree within 15-14. Rockhurst answered by scoring the next four points to pull away for the sweep.
Katie Loescher and Alyssa Arnold each had 10 kills to lead Rockhurst, while Whitney Kostal handed out a match-high 37 assists.
