(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 15)—The McKendree University volleyball team surrendered a 3-1 decision to Grand Valley State University in its second match at the Mizuno Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover Challenge at the Great Lakes Center in Aurora, IL. The Bearcats fell by scores of 25-20, 25-22, 25-27, and 25-12.

The loss moves the Bearcats to 13-7 overall. McKendree wraps up Crossover action at 4 p.m. against Saginaw Valley State University.

The Bearcats were paced by junior outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) who put down a team high 14 kills to go with 11 digs. Senior right side Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) posted 12 kills and 7 digs, and junior right side Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) chipped in 10 kills for McKendree.

Sophomore setter Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) led the team in assists with 24 to go with give digs and two kills. Senior setter Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) added 21 kills and four digs for the Bearcats. Freshman libero Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) tabbed 10 digs from the back row for McKendree.

The Lakers opened the match with five of the first six points, mixing in four kills to take the early lead. The Bearcats responded with a 6-2 run that included back to back kills from Williams to tie the set at 8-8. McKendree took its first lead of the match at 12-11 after a three point run started on back to back kills from Geiger and finished off on an ace from junior middle blocker Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West). Grand Valley replied with a run of their own to go up 19-16 before landing five kills in six points to close the first set by five.

The Lakers started strong once again in the second set jumping out in front 12-5. The Bearcats began the long road back with a pair of kills from Schneider and a kill from Williams to cut into the Grand Valley lead at 16-11. Schneider, Geiger, and Williams continued the offensive attack as they each landed kills to trim the Laker lead to 23-21 and force a Grand Valley timeout. Coming out of the break the Lakers put down two of the final three points to halt the comeback effort and take a 2-0 lead.

The third set was a back and forth affair that featured 15 ties and eight lead changes as McKendree opened the set with 6-4 lead thanks to kills from Schneider, Geiger, and senior middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton). The Bearcats extended that lead to four at 13-9 after Melchert, Schneider, and Williams all scored kills. Grand Valley rallied back with an 8-3 run to tie the set at 15 before taking a 17-16 lead. The teams traded points and the lead back and forth as the lead swung in favor of McKendree 21-20 to force a Lakers timeout. Grand Valley connected two straight attacks to reclaim the lead 23-22 before surrendering a kill to Fairman and an ace from Zeitelhack to give the lead back to the Bearcats. The Lakers would tie the set at 25-25, but McKendree used a kill from Schneider to go up 26-25 before scoring the final point to take set three.

The fourth set was all Grand Valley as the Lakers used a 6-0 run to pad a 13-5 lead. Williams scored three kills as the score moved to 16-9, but another 3-0 run for Grand Valley put the set out of reach at 20-11 as the Lakers closed the match in the fourth set.