(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 24)--The McKendree University women's volleyball team will open its 2015 home schedule at the Harry M. Statham Sports Center on Friday with a pair of  Great Lakes Valley Conference games.  The Bearcats will have a showdown with William Jewell College on Friday at 7 p.m., followed by a Saturday matinee against No. 13 ranked Rockhurst University at 3 p.m.

The Bearcats enter the weekend with a 7-4 record after opening with 11 matches on the road to start the season. The weekend slate will kick-off a five-match home stand for McKendree. The Bearcats look to continue a hot start to conference play after sweeping a pair of GLVC matches last weekend against Truman State and Quincy University.

McKendree keys off sophomore outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) who leads the Bearcats 122 kills and 141 digs. Williams has averaged 3.05 kills and 3.53 digs per set. Junior middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) has put down 97 kills of her own along with a team-high 43 blocks. Junior Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) and freshman Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) have handled the setting duties for the Bearcats. Dickmann has dished out 248 assists, averaging over six per set, while Melchert has 188 helpers averaging just over five per set. The pair of setters have each topped 80 digs on the season to aid McKendree defensively. Other Bearcats to keep an eye on include senior right side Taylor Voss (Breese, IL/Breese Central) who paced McKendree going 11-20 on attacks Tuesday night in St. Louis. Junior libero Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) has also stepped up with 106 digs on the back end for the Bearcats.

About William Jewell College

The Cardinals look to rebound after starting the season with a 4-7 record including a 0-2 mark in conference play. William Jewell is led by freshman right side Raechel Meisinger, who paces the Cardinals with 146 kills, averaging 3.48 per set. Meisinger has added 75 digs and 20 blocks in the first 11 matches for William Jewell. Sophomore setter Alix Weigel has dished out 350 of the 427 assists for the Cardinals this season at a rate of 8.33 per set. Weigal adds 31 kills and 75 digs to help form a formidable young core for William Jewell. Other players to watch include sophomore right side Grace Miller who has 74 kills and boasts a team high 47 blocks, while freshman libero Olivia Tolberd has claimed 179 digs averaging over four per set. McKendree topped the Cardinals in three sets a season ago and have not shared any common opponents this season.

Rockhurst University

The 13^th ranked Hawks brings an 11-1 record to the Statham Center on Saturday afternoon including a 2-0 clip in GLVC play. The Hawks are led by a trio of attackers including junior outside hitter Morgan Rietzke who has a team high 120 kills. Senior middle hitters Preecy Seever and Katie Loescher are close behind with 109 and 108 kills, boasting a .460 and .437 hitting percentage. Seever paces Rockhurst with 58 blocks, with Loescher right behind her with 37 of her own. Sophomore libero Anne Hellwege paces the Hawks from the back row with 180 digs, dishing out 4.86 per set. McKendree shares two common opponents with Rockhurst thus far, as both topped Henderson State. The Hawks were able to sweep fifth ranked Wayne State College in three sets, handing them their only loss of the season, while the Bearcats dropped a five-set thriller to the Wildcats. Rockhurst topped the Bearcats last fall with a five set win in Lebanon, but McKendree rebounded with a four set win over the Hawks in the GLVC tournament just two weeks later.