Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 5)—The McKendree University volleyball team closed out the home portion of its 2014 regular-season schedule with a five-set victory Wednesday night against the University of Missouri-St. Louis. The Bearcats rallied to win the final two sets and the match, taking the contest by scores of 22-25, 25-16, 23-25, 25-20 and 15-13.
The victory boosts the Bearcats' season record to 17-11. McKendree will play its final two regular-season contests on the road – Friday at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Saturday at Lewis University – before heading to East Peoria, Ill., for next week's Great Lakes Valley Conference Tournament.
It was Senior Night at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center, where the Bearcats honored
Abby Hanger (Belleville, IL/Belleville West) and
Kelsey Johnson (Aviston, IL/Breese Central) in a pre-game ceremony. Both players had key roles in Wednesday's victory as Johnson collected seven kills and a team-high 17 digs, while Hanger added 11 digs along with six assists and a pair of service aces. It was Hanger's ace on match point that capped the Bearcats' comeback.
Freshman outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) stole the show statistically for McKendree as she put up a career-high 30 kills against UMSL while adding 14 digs and a team-best three aces. The 30 kills by Williams sets a new single-game record in the Bearcats' NCAA Division II era, which began in 2012. She topped the previous mark of 27 kills set by junior teammate
Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) in a five-set win at the University of Illinois Springfield.
Apetz and sophomore middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) each added 12 kills against UMSL, with Fairman, freshman middle hitter
Maria Rasch (Kenosha, WI/Westosha Central) and junior right-side hitter
Taylor Voss (Breese, IL/Breese Central) each posting four blocks. Sophomore setters
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) and
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) handed out 32 assists apiece against the Tritons.
After dropping a heartbreaker by three points in the first set, McKendree bounced back by leading start to finish in set two. The Bearcats raced to a 6-2 advantage as Williams had the hot hand throughout the set. She registered kills for the first seven points of the set for McKendree and eventually finished with 11 in the contest. Her 11
th and final kill of the set wrapped up the nine-point victory to help the Bearcats knot the match at a set apiece.
There were 10 ties and eight lead changes in the third set. McKendree held a 22-21 lead after a kill from sophomore outside hitter
Bailey Kampwerth (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) and an attack error by UMSL. However, the Tritons responded by scoring four of the final five points of the set to grab a 2-1 lead on the night.
McKendree trailed in the early stages of the fourth set before the Bearcats used a 12-3 run to pull out to a 13-7 lead. The advantage grew to as many as seven points as McKendree was able to hang on a force a fifth set for the second time in its last three matches. At the outset of the deciding set, the teams traded points as there were nine more ties and a trio of lead changes.
The Bearcats trailed 10-9 when a kill from Fairman and two more UMSL attack errors enabled McKendree to build a 12-10 lead. The Tritons fought back to pull even one final time at 13-13. Apetz provided a kill to put McKendree in front at 14-13, and Hanger's ace closed out the come-from-behind win for the Bearcats.
Jory Siebenmorgen led UMSL (15-10) with 21 kills while adding 13 digs. Haley Brightwell and Carly Ochs each chipped in with 10 attacks, while Lindsey Meyer dished out a match-high 48 assists for the Tritons.
The win on Wednesday helped McKendree avenge an early-season loss to UMSL during GLVC play. The Tritons swept the Bearcats back on Sept. 14 in St. Louis.
