Box Score (EAST PEORIA, Ill., Nov. 15)—The Cinderella run for the McKendree University women's volleyball team at the 2014 Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament Championship came to an end Saturday afternoon with a five-set loss in the title match to top-seeded Truman State University.
 
The Bearcats won the first two sets before the Bulldogs rallied to take the final three sets and claim their first-ever GLVC volleyball post-season crown. Truman State won by scores of 21-25, 21-25, 25-17, 25-20 and 15-8.
 
McKendree moves to 20-13 on the year and now must await word on Sunday to see if they will earn a regional bid to the NCAA Division II Championships. Pairings and match times for the 64-team tournament will be announced Sunday at 10 p.m. ET on the NCAA Selection Show.
 
"We matured so much as a team throughout this tournament, especially today," said McKendree volleyball coach Nickie Sanlin. "We got off to a fast start today but Truman State proved why they are the top team in the league. We battled with them all the way down to the final point, and that's all you can ask out of a team. I think we showed a lot of positive signs throughout the week, and I'm so proud of the things they have accomplished in this short time. Our future is bright and we want to use this experience as a stepping stone. We want to get back to the GLVC Tournament next year and continue to fight for that GLVC championship."
 
Four different players reached double figures in kills for McKendree against Truman State. Junior right-side hitter Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand), sophomore middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) and freshman outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) each connected for a team-leading 12 kills in the contest. Junior right-side hitter Taylor Voss (Breese, IL/Breese Central) added 10 attacks against the Bulldogs.
 
In addition to her 12 kills, Fairman put down a career-high 12 blocks to lead all players in the GLVC Championship match. Apetz helped out with seven blocks as Voss contributed six blocks. Like Fairman, Williams posted a double-double for the Bearcats as she had 13 digs on Saturday.
 
Freshman defensive specialist Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) handled a team-high 19 digs in the back row, while senior outside hitter Kelsey Johnson (Aviston, IL/Breese Central) chipped in with 15 digs. Sophomore setter Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) was the third McKendree player to notch a double-double as she had 28 assists along with 12 digs. Sophomore setter Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) handed out 27 assists on the day for McKendree.
 
The Bearcats used a fast start to control the pace of the first set. McKendree ripped off the first five points of the match on its way to a 7-2 lead. Truman State battled back to within three points on several occasions midway through the set before another 5-0 run helped the Bearcats extend their advantage to 20-12. Apetz had three kills in the five-point burst.
 
After taking the first set, McKendree had to rally on its way to building a two-set lead over Truman State. The Bulldogs edged out to a 17-12 lead when the Bearcats scored eight of nine points to surge ahead at 20-18. McKendree never trailed the remainder of the set in taking a 2-0 lead into the intermission.
 
Truman State began its comeback by leading start to finish in winning the third set. McKendree was able to pull within 11-10 following a block by Fairman, but the Bulldogs answered by scoring four of the next five points in pulling within a set against the Bearcats. McKendree looked to rebound with a fast start in the fourth set, scoring four of the first five points. Truman State proceeded to score the next five points and never trailed the remainder of the set to pull even and force a deciding fifth set.
 
In the fifth set, Truman State jumped out to a 10-3 lead and never looked back to collect its first GLVC Tournament championship since becoming a league member back in 2013.
 
      Abby Heise put down a match-high 14 kills to lead Truman State (28-3). Meghan Zimmerman handed out 37 assists against McKendree, while Abby Moser helped out with 20 digs for the Bulldogs.