Box Score COACH SANLIN'S POST-GAME COMMENTS | PHOTO GALLERY
(ALLENDALE, Mich., Nov. 20)—The McKendree University women's volleyball team saw its 2014 season come to an end on Thursday with a three-set loss to top-seeded Truman State University at the NCAA Division II Volleyball Championships Midwest Regional in Allendale, Mich. The Bullodgs swept the match by scores of 26-19, 25-16 and 25-11.
Grand Valley State University is serving as the host of the Midwest Regional, which is an eight-team, single-elimination event.
The Bearcats were making their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Volleyball Championships thanks to a late-season surge that saw the team win 11 of its final 17 matches. McKendree wraps up its year with an overall record of 20-14.
"Truman State came out and hit the ball well and took advantage of some early mistakes that we made," said head coach
Nickie Sanlin following the match. "You have to give them a lot of credit. They are the top seed in the regional and showed why they were deserving of that. I'm just so proud of what our team has accomplished over the season. We came together as a team and they elevated their game. This is a team that will be remembered for making history at McKendree."
McKendree, the No. 8 seed in the Midwest Region, ran into a hot-hitting Truman State squad that posted a .308 attack percentage in advancing the regional semifinals on Friday. Conversely, the Bearcats hit just .060 in the contest with 33 kills and 28 errors on 116 attempts.
Junior right-side hitter
Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) was the lone McKendree player to reach double figures in kills as she put down a team-high 11 attacks. Senior outside hitter
Kelsey Johnson (Aviston, IL/Breese Central) added six kills, while freshman outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) chipped in with five attacks and 10 digs for the Bearcats.
Anchoring the back row was senior defensive specialist
Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West), who collected a match-high 16 digs for McKendree. Sophomore setters
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) and
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) each put up double-digits sets for the Bearcats as Dickmann led the team with 13 assists and Howe added 10.
The first set featured 11 ties and seven lead changes as the two teams went toe-to-toe early in the match. Apetz led the way offensively in the opening set with six kills, and her attack off a pass from Dickmann gave McKendree its final lead at 11-10. Truman State scored the next three points to move in front and eventually increased its margin to 18-14 before the first time out called by the Bearcats.
Back-to-back kills by Johnson allowed the Bearcats to pull within 18-16. However, Truman State answered by scoring the next four points to extend its lead to 22-16 as Sanlin called the final time out of the set for McKendree. The Bulldogs were able to hold off the Bearcats to take the first set by six points.
McKendree got out to a fast start in the second set, scoring three of the first four points. Truman State quickly tied the game at 5-5 when Williams put down a kill to give the Bearcats a 6-5 advantage. At that point, the Bulldogs took control of the set, scoring eight of the next 10 points to surge in front at 13-8. Truman State stretched its lead to as many as 13 points in building a two-set lead.
Truman State (29-3) never trailed in the third set although McKendree tied the contest early at 2-2 and came within 6-5 following another kill from Williams. After that point, the Bulldogs pulled away by reeling off eight consecutive points for a 14-5 lead. The Bulldogs kept adding to its lead and held its largest lead of the day after recording match point.
Abby Heise led Truman State with a match-high 12 kills as Allie Brak added nine attacks. Meghan Zimmerman handed out 27 assists to lead all players, while Kayla Bastian helped out with 10 digs for the Bulldogs. Truman State will face either Rockhurst University or the University of Indianapolis in Friday's NCAA Midwest Regional semifinals
