Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., March 19)—The McKendree University men's volleyball team went toe-to-toe with the No. 3-ranked team in the nation on Thursday before falling in four sets to visiting Lewis University. The Flyers won by scores of 25-14, 25-23, 23-25 and 25-15.
The contest marked the second time in 2015 that the Bearcats hosted a top-five team at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. McKendree is now 10-14 overall and 1-10 in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The Bearcats will step out of conference for the final time this season on Monday to host Fontbonne University. First serve will occur at 7 p.m.
Sophomore middle blocker
Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) registered a team-high 13 kills and a .647 hitting percentage to show the way for McKendree. Sophomore right-side hitter
Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) connected for nine attacks, while freshman outside hitter
Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) added seven kills and four blocks. Freshman middle blocker
Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) helped out with a team-best six blocks as freshman setter
Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) handed out a match-high 39 assists against the Flyers.
Lewis (17-2, 8-1 MIVA) controlled the tempo in the first set, using a run of five straight points to take the lead for good at 10-5. The Flyers continued to stretch the margin thanks in part to a .438 hitting percentage in the opener to grab the early lead. McKendree bounced back in the second set to forge an early lead before Lewis rallied back. In a set that featured 12 ties and five lead changes, the Bearcats fought back and scratched out a 22-21 lead on a kill by Walker. Lewis scored the next two points to regain the lead before a service error tied things once again at 23-23. Back-to-back kills by the Flyers' Greg Petty helped finish off the battle to give Lewis a two-set lead heading into the intermission.
McKendree took the lead in the early stages of the third set and scored four of five points in one stretch to extend its lead to 16-11. The Bearcats' advantage grew to as many as six points in the third when Lewis fought back. The Flyers used a 4-1 burst of its own to slash the deficit to 24-23. But a service error by Lewis gave McKendree the win to cut the match deficit to 2-1.
The teams battled back and forth in the first half of the fourth set. McKendree pulled to within 13-12 following a kill by Schmidt when Lewis reeled off four straight points to stretch its lead back to 17-12. The Flyers later scored the final six points of the match to finish off the four-set triumph.
Petty finished with a match-high 17 kills to lead Lewis. Scott Fifer recorded 26 assists while Bobby Walsh added six kills and five blocks (two solos) for the Flyers. McKendree and Lewis will meet one more time this season on April 18 in Romeoville, Ill.
