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(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 19)—The McKendree University women's volleyball team will open its NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships run on Thursday with a familiar opponent at the Midwest Regional being held at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Mich.
The Bearcats, who drew the No. 8 seed in the eight-team regional, will square off against top-seeded Truman State University in the opening match of the tournament Thursday at noon ET (11 a.m. CT) at the GVSU Fieldhouse Arena.
In just its second year as full members of NCAA Division II, McKendree collected its first-ever berth into the field of 64. The Bearcats are one of eight first-time participants in the Division II Championship field. McKendree is also part of a contingent of six Great Lakes Valley Conference teams in the eight-team Midwest Region field. McKendree and Truman State are joined by Lewis University, Rockhurst University, the University of Indianapolis and Missouri S & T.
Thursday's contest is a rematch of the GLVC Tournament Championship title match played last Saturday in East Peoria, Ill. McKendree won the first two sets in the GLVC finals before the Bulldogs rallied to win the last three sets in taking the five-set victory.
ABOUT THE BEARCATS --McKendree brings a 20-13 overall record into the NCAA Midwest Regional. The Bearcats, who went 11-7 in conference play in 2014, earned their first-ever bid to the GLVC Tournament, then put together a magical run by defeating two higher-seeded squads, Rockhurst University and the University of Indianapolis, to reach the championship finals against Truman State. Since Oct. 11, McKendree has won 11 of 16 matches, including a pair of victories in the GLVC/GLIAC Crossover Challenge in mid-October and the two triumphs in the GLVC Tournament.
In its three matches last weekend, McKendree led all GLVC Tournament teams in kills (14.08 per set), assists (13.33 per set) and blocks (3.29 per set) while finishing second in service aces (1.50 per set). On the year, the Bearcats are fourth in the league in kills (13.83 per set) and assists (12.82 per set), while they rank fifth in both hitting percentage (.208) and blocks (2.09 per set).
All-GLVC performers
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) and
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) have been the statistical leaders for McKendree this season. Williams, who earned GLVC Freshman of the Year accolades and was a second-team All-Conference honoree, leads the squad with 412 kills and 37 service aces. She has added 349 digs, which is good for second on the team. Williams is fourth in the conference in kills, averaging 3.35 per set, while she is eighth in aces at 0.30 per contest.
Fairman has connected for 344 kills this season, which is second overall for McKendree. She leads the team with a .326 hitting percentage and 126 blocks (17 solos). Fairman grabbed second-team All-GLVC mention for her efforts. She ranks fourth among all GLVC performers in kill percentage and is also eighth in blocks at 1.03 per set.
After making the switch from middle to right-side hitter prior to the 2014 season, junior
Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) has come on strong in the latter part of the year. Apetz is third on the team with 281 kills while hitting .260 overall. She is also third in blocks with 77. Freshman
Maria Rasch (Kenosha, WI/Westosha Central) has also been impressive down the stretch as she is second on the squad with 89 blocks (11 solos).
Senior outside hitter
Kelsey Johnson (Aviston, IL/Breese Central) has proved to be an all-around threat for McKendree this season. She is second with 29 service aces, third with 257 digs and fourth with 155 kills.
Senior defensive specialist
Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) took over as the Bearcats' libero midway through the season and currently leads the team with 402 digs. Hanger, a two-year starter for McKendree, has helped anchor the back row while contributing 349 assists. She crossed the 1,500-assist mark earlier this season.
The sophomore tandem of
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) and
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) have split setting duties for the Bearcats. Dickmann leads the way with 559 assists while handling 161 digs. Howe is next with 537 sets and has chipped in with 23 aces and 175 digs.
ABOUT THE BULLDOGS -- Truman State enters the Midwest Region with a 28-3 overall record and a No. 23 ranking in the latest American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) poll. The Bulldogs have won five straight contests and 26 of their last 27 outings. Truman State was 17-1 in the GLVC this season, losing only to Indianapolis on Nov. 2.
Leading the way are a pair of GLVC post-season top honorees for Truman State in senior outside hitter Allie Brak and senior libero Abby Moser. Brak picked up the league's top award as she was named the 2014 GLVC Volleyball Player of the Year. Brak has registered 292 kills and a .233 hitting percentage while adding 24 service aces, 230 digs and 33 blocks on the year. She leads the GLVC in kills per set at 3.65, while she is ninth in the league in aces.
Moser has dominated back-row play for the Bulldogs with 568 digs on the year, averaging better than five per set. She ranks fifth in the conference in digs.
Up front Truman State has leaned on junior middle hitter Ali Patterson, who tops all GLVC players in blocks. Patterson has put down 139 blocks overall, averaging 1.34 per set. Junior middle hitter Emilee Walters is next on the Bulldogs' squad with 77 blocks, including 14 solos.
Sophomore outside hitter Kayla Bastian tops the Truman State squad with 350 kills this year and ranks third with 347 digs. Bastian joins Brak in the GLVC top 10 in kills as she is sixth at 3.30 per set. Senior setter Meghan Zimmerman is fourth in the GLVC in assists, as her 1,167 helpers average out to 10.81 per set.
THE SEASON SERIES --Thursday will mark the third meeting of the season between the two squads. Truman State has won both previous match-ups, including the GLVC title contest on Saturday. The first meeting came back on Sept. 20, when the visiting Bulldogs posted a four-set victory over the Bearcats. McKendree won the first set before Truman State swept the final three games to grab the road win. In the September match, Williams led all players with 20 kills and 20 digs. Junior outside hitter
Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) connected for 19 attacks and hit .514 versus the Bulldogs. Howe handed out 32 assists while Dickmann contributed 24 sets and 11 digs. Brak paced Truman State with 15 kills as junior Abby Heise chipped in with 13 kills. Zimmerman dished out a match-high 39 assists and Moser posted 12 digs for the Bulldogs.
Saturday's win marked the first GLVC volleyball post-season championship for Truman State, which became a league member prior to last year. This will be the 15
th NCAA Tournament appearance in school history for the Bulldogs, who were long-time members of the Mid-America Intercollegiate Athletic Association (MIAA) before joining the GLVC a year ago.
In the GLVC finals, a trio of McKendree players – Fairman, Williams and Apetz – all put down 12 kills to lead a balanced attack for the Bearcats. Fairman registered a career-high 12 blocks as Williams helped out with 13 digs. Junior right-side hitter
Taylor Voss (Breese, IL/Breese Central) added 10 attacks in the effort, and Hanger handled a team-best 18 digs against Truman State. Howe (28) and Dickmann (27) split 55 assists in the match.
Heise led the Bulldogs with 14 kills while Brake notched 10. Zimmerman handed out 37 assists to lead all players, while Moser contributed 20 digs and Brak collected 18.
The winner of the McKendree-Truman State battle on Thursday will advance to the Midwest Regional semifinals to face either No. 4 seed Rockhurst or fifth-seeded Indianapolis.
