Box Score (ST. CHARLES, Mo., Jan. 31)—The McKendree University men's volleyball team could not hold off a comeback bid by Coker College and suffered a 3-2 match loss to the Cobras on Friday in the first day of play at the Lindenwood University Classic. Coker won the marathon match by scores of 21-25, 25-17, 34-36, 25-19 and 15-10.
 
McKendree is now 1-6 on the year and will close out their stay at the Lindenwood Classic with a pair of morning matches. The Bearcats will square off with Lees-McRae College at 9 a.m. before facing Pfeiffer University at 11 a.m.
 
Freshman outside hitter Mike Polizzi established a new team mark with 23 kills in the five-set thriller with Coker. Freshman outside hitter Andy Schnittker chipped in with 17 attacks, while freshman middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) had 14 kills and a .522 hitting percentage. Freshman setter Jack MacLean dished out a match-high 61 assists as freshman libero Brice Miller (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) handled 18 digs.
 
In the first set, McKendree led from start to finish, opening the game on a 4-1 run. Coker (3-4) pulled to within a point on six different occasions early in the set before the Bearcats took control down the stretch. McKendree used a 4-0 run – which included back-to-back kills by freshman outside hitter Dustin Borenstein (Highland Park, IL/Highland Park) – to build a 20-13 advantage.
 
After Coker bounced back to win the second set and even the match, McKendree was able to scratch out a win in the longest set to date in the young history of the Bearcats' program. There were 70 points scored between the two teams, with McKendree scraping past the Cobras, 36-34. The Bearcats trailed by as many as six points early before clawing their way back. A 6-1 spurt helped McKendree draw even at 14-14, as Polizzi had two kills during the run.
 
The set remained a back-and-forth affair the rest of the way. Neither team led by more than two points from the 14-14 deadlock. Coker was serving for the set at 25-24 before a service error extended the contest. In all, the Bearcats fought off set point nine times, with the last coming as the Cobras held a 33-32 advantage. A kill from MacLean and a Coker attack error put the Bearcats on the brink of the win before the Cobras tied the set one final time at 34-34.
 
Polizzi put down his ninth kill of the set, which was followed by another attacking error by Coker to enable McKendree to take the third set.
 
However, Coker rallied for a six-point win in set for to force a decisive contest. The Cobras grabbed the lead early in the fifth set, extending the margin to 13-6 before closing out the come-from-behind win.