Box Score (BANNER ELK, N.C., March 9)—The McKendree University men's volleyball team stretched its win streak to four consecutive matches with a three-set sweep Monday in non-conference action at Lees-McRae College. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-17, 25-17 and 26-24.
 
McKendree won all three matches in its road trip through the Carolinas to boost its season record to 9-12. The Bearcats return home for another non-conference tilt Wednesday against the University of Charleston. First serve is set for 7 p.m. at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center.
 
Against Lees-McRae, sophomore middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) put down a team-high 13 kills and hit a scorching .867 against the Bobcats. Sophomore right-side hitter Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) and freshman outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) each added five attacks, while freshman libero Evan Lockwood (Maitland, FL/Winter Park) handled a match-high seven digs for the Bearcats. Freshman setters Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) and Ian Zalewski (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) combined to hand out 38 assists. Fiduccia had 21 of those assists, as well as a match-high four service aces.
 
The teams traded leads in the early stages of the first set before McKendree reeled off eight consecutive points to grab the lead for good at 12-5. Walker and Patterson each had a pair of kills during the burst for the Bearcats.
 
After cruising to the first-set win, McKendree pulled away in the middle stages of the second set to build a 2-0 lead in the contest. Lees-McRae had pulled to within 11-9 before the Bearcats scored the next nine points to extend its advantage to 20-9. Fiduccia recorded all four of his aces during the stretch, including three straight that sandwiched a Bobcats' time out.
 
Following the intermission, McKendree looked to finish off the sweep in the third set. The Bearcats led by as many as seven points before Lees-McRae began to chip away at the deficit. The Bobcats fought off four set points to knot the set at 24-24. McKendree was then able to score the final two points to win the set and close out the sweep.
 
Brady Markle led Lees-McRae with 13 kills. Drew Blecher handed out a match-high 25 assists for the Bobcats.