(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 8)--The McKendree University women's volleyball team is set to begin a five match road trip with a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference matches this weekend. The Bearcats travel to Rensselaer, IN. on Friday to take on the Pumas of Saint Joseph's College at 7 p.m. before a Saturday afternoon match at the University of Indianapolis set for 3 p.m.
McKendree will look to extend its current three match win streak and take over the top spot in the East Division of the GLVC. The Bearcats are currently 11-5 overall and 6-1 in the GLVC, sitting just one game back of Lewis University.
Sophomore outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) leads McKendree with 178 and 197 digs, averaging 3.12 kill and 3.46 digs per set. Junior middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) is second on the team with 144 kills and has a team high 65 blocks averaging 1.18 per set, good enough for fifth in the GLVC. Junior setter
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) leads the Bearcats with 347 assists to pair with 110 digs, while freshman setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) has 273 assists of her own along with 116 digs.
Other Bearcats to watch for include junior outside hitter
Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) who has put in back-to-back double digit kill performances for McKendree. Schneider has totaled 117 kills and put up 116 digs for the Bearcats. Senior middle hitter
Lauren Apetz (Glenwood, FL/DeLand) has tallied 79 kills averaging 2.26 per set in a reserve role for McKendree. Sophomore middle blocker
Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) is second on the team with 34 blocks, and junior libero
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) has 168 digs averaging over three per set for the Bearcats.
ABOUT SAINT JOSEPH'S
The Pumas are in the midst of an eight match losing streak bringing their record to 4-10 overall and 0-7 in the GLVC. Saint Joseph's is led by sophomore outside hitter Bridget Krasowski who has a team high 131 kills, averaging 2.67 per set. Kraswoski is second on the team with 113 digs and has 12 blocks. Senior right side Lauren Robertson is a close second with 112 kills and has a team high .282 attack percentage. Robertson also has 95 assists for the Pumas. Senior setter Megan Strum leads Saint Joseph's with 234 assists averaging nearly five per set. McKendree does not share any common opponents thus far with the Pumas. The Bearcats topped Saint Joseph's in three sets last October at the Richard F. Scharf Alumni Field House in Rensselaer, IN.
ABOUT INDIANAPOLIS
The Greyhounds have an underwhelming 6-11 record going 3-4 in the GLVC after being tabbed as the favorite to take the East Division in the preseason. Indianapolis is led by junior middle blocker Becca Lira who is third in the GLVC in kills at 218, averaging 3.57 per set. Lira adds 126 digs and 36 blocks for the Greyhounds. Junior middle blocker Shelby Ruffner is second on the team with 118 kills, posting a team high .308 attack percentage among qualified players. Ruffner leads Indianapolis with 52 blocks averaging .85 per set. Sophomore outside hitter Kacee Salyers is the only other Greyhound to top 100 kills on the season with 110. Slayers adds 75 digs and 24 blocks for Indianapolis. Junior setter Natalie Wichern paces the Greyhounds with 474 assists, handing them out at a rate of 10.30 per set. Wichern adds 91 digs and 35 kills for Indianapolis, giving the Greyhounds a valuable wrinkle to their offense from the setting position. The Bearcats do not share any common opponents with the Greyhounds at this point in the season. McKendree swept a pair of matches from Indianapolis a year ago, stealing a five-set thriller from the Greyhounds on the road last October, before taking a 3-0 win in the GLVC tournament.
