Box Score (ROMEOVILLE, Ill., April 18)—The McKendree University men's volleyball team closed its 2015 season with a four-set loss Saturday evening at No. 2-ranked Lewis University. The host Flyers won by scores of 25-22, 25-14, 25-27 and 26-24.
 
McKendree finished the season with an overall record of 11-19. The Bearcats went 1-15 in their first season as members of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA).
 
Sophomore middle hitter Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) and freshman opposite Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) shared team-high honors with 12 kills apiece. Patterson posted a .421 hitting percentage against Lewis as well. Sophomore right-side hitter Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) also reached double figures in kills for the Bearcats with 10. Freshman setter Ian Zalewski (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) handed out 25 assists, while freshman setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) contributed 16 sets. Sophomore libero Brice Miller (O'Fallon, IL/Althoff Catholic) tied for match-high honors with eight digs in the back row for McKendree.
 
Lewis (24-2, 15-1 MIVA) scored four of the first five points of the match before McKendree used a 7-3 run to tie the opening set at 8-8. The Flyers responded by ripping off the next five points and maintained their advantage the rest of the set. The Bearcats chipped away at the deficit late in the set, pulling within 24-22 following a kill by Wilcox, but a block off another kill attempt by Wilcox finished off the opening contest.
 
In the second set, Lewis hit .429 as a team in controlling the tempo. The Flyers opened the set on a 7-2 burst and slowly increased its advantage to take a two-set lead against McKendree. Lewis appeared to be on its way to a three-set sweep, holding a 20-17 lead, when the Bearcats reeled off four of the next five points to tie things at 21-21. The teams continued to trade points until Patterson registered two late kills to enable McKendree to pull away and force a fourth set.
 
The teams battled down the stretch in the fourth set before McKendree edged out in front 23-22 following a block by Zalewski and freshman middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West). Lewis scored the next two points to force a time out by the Bearcats. McKendree tied the set one final time at 24-24 on a kill by Wilcox before the Flyers closed out the match by scoring the final two points.
 
Geoff Powell put down a match-high 14 points while Eric Butch had 13 attacks to pace Lewis. Scott Fifer dished out 43 assists, while James Hofmann notched nine blocks at the net for the Flyers.