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(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 23)--The McKendree University women's volleyball team came back to clinch a five set triumph Friday night against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside. The Bearcats took the best-of-five match by scores of 25-18, 23-25, 20-25, 25-21 and 15-13.

The Bearcats improve to 14-8 overall and 8-2 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference. McKendree returns to action Saturday afternoon at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center against GLVC foe Lewis University at 3 p.m.

The Bearcats were sparked by outside hitter Hannah Wessel (Waterloo, IL/Gibault Catholic) who came off the bench to tab seven kills and four digs in the final three sets of the evening. It was just the second appearance for the redshirt junior this season. Sophomore outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) led McKendree with 20 kills and 21 digs. Williams had just three errors on 57 attempts from the field putting up a .298 attack percentage. Fellow sophomore outside hitter Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) had a career high with 14 kills and a .400 attack percentage. Junior middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) had nine kills and a robust nine blocks to help stymie Wisconsin-Parkside.

Junior setter Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) handed out 35 assists for McKendree, senior right side Taylor Voss (Breese, IL/Breese Central) added eight kills, and sophomore libero Ashley Schmitt put up 17 digs to aid the Bearcats defensively.

The match was sloppy early in the first set with three of the first five points coming on attack errors. Both teams felt each other out in the early stages of a key GLVC East Division matchup, which pitted the No. 2 Bearcats against the No. 3 Rangers. Trailing 9-8 in the first set McKendree used four straight kills to turn the tide against Wisconsin-Parkside, including three from junior outside hitter Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh). The Bearcats went on to take 14 of the next 19 points to push the set out of reach for the Rangers.

Wisconsin-Parkside responded in set two taking an early 7-3 lead with a six point run. Mckendree responded with five of the next seven points to cut the Rangers lead to one. The set see-sawed back and forth while the Bearcats continued to claw back at the Rangers to try and capture a lead, taking five of six points to cut the lead to 22-21 for Wisconsin-Parkside. The Rangers would not give in and took set two by a pair of points. Wisconsin-Parkside continued to roll in set three taking an early lead once again. The Rangers pushed the margin to seven with a five point run in the middle stages of the set. McKendree cut into the lead late in the set, but were unable catch Wisconsin-Parkside as the Rangers pushed the Bearcats to the brink.

With their backs against the wall the Bearcats came out firing in set four sparked by Wessel who put down back to back kills giving McKendree a 10-8 lead. Each team scored a handful of points before a four point run, started on a kill from Wessel, broke the set open for the Bearcats. A 23-16 lead seemed to put the set away before a four point run from Wisconsin-Parkside showed they would not go away so easily. The Bearcats closed out the set with a pair of kills from Geiger and Williams to force a deciding fifth set.

The Rangers were clicking early in the fifth set using four straight kills to open a 6-3 lead and put McKendree on the ropes. The Bearcats responded out of a key timeout with four of the next five points to tie the set at seven. Wisconsin-Parkside began to crumble from the pressure giving three of four points away on attack errors to give McKendree a 10-9 lead. After a Ranger kill to tie the set the Bearcats rattled off four straight points with kills from Geiger and Williams. Trailing 14-10 Wisconsin-Parkside stormed back with back to back kills in part of a three point spree to cut the lead to one. After a short rally Geiger exploded in front of a Ranger attacker for a block and the match clinching point.

Rebbeca Roembke had 18 kills and 17 digs for Wisconsin-Parkside. Jackie Langer added 16 kills and 14 digs, and Lexi Turek put down 14 kills for the Rangers.

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