(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 21) --The McKendree University volleyball team pulled out a 3-2 road win over the No. 16 Lewis University Flyers Friday night in Romeoville, IL. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-18, 18-25, 21-25, 25-22, and 15-11.

The win moves the Bearcats to 14-8 overall and into first place in the Great Lakes Valley Conference with a record of 9-1. McKendree returns to action tomorrow afternoon in Kenosha, WI against the University of Wisconsin-Parkside.

The Bearcats were led by junior outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) who posted a season high 22 kills along with 16 assists. Senior outside hitter Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) finished with 15 kills and 12 digs while junior right side Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) put down10 kills to go with two digs and two blocks.

Senior setter Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) paced McKendree with 27 assists along with five digs and sophomore setter Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) finished one dig shy of a double-double with 25 assists and nine digs. Junior middle blocker Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) put down a team high three blocks, and freshman libero Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) and senior libero Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) tallied 15 and 12 digs respectively.

The Bearcats bolted out in front 14-7 in the first set with help from Williams who landed back to back aces before Geiger was able to thread a pair of kills together to spark a five point run for McKendree. The Bearcats continued to roll with kills from Williams, Schneider, and Lorenz to move in front 19-11. Lewis pulled within five with a 4-1 run, but McKendree closed out the set with four of the final six points that included kills from senior middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton), Schneider, and an ace from Howe.

The Flyers bounced back in the second set using a five point run to take an early 9-7 lead. Lewis continued to attack, landing three in a row and seven of the next eight points to push ahead 20-12. The Bearcats put together a three point run to cut the lead to 21-16, but couldn't make up for the early deficit and fell in set two by seven.

McKendree used a pair of kills from Williams along with a kill each from Geiger and Fairman to go up 9-7 in the third set. Williams put down two more kills as the Bearcats moved ahead 12-10, but the Flyers countered six in row and 11 of the next 13 points to storm ahead 21-15 and coasted to a 2-1 lead heading into the fourth set.

Fairman and Geiger connected on two kills apiece to put McKendree ahead 7-6 in the fourth set. A pair of kills from Schneider and Williams and Schneider extended the Bearcat lead to 19-16, but the Flyers used back to back points to cut the lead to just one at 19-18. Geiger, Lorenz, and Fairman each put down a kill to put McKendree in front 24-20 as the Bearcats went on to force a decisive fifth set with a three point win.

The final set was all Bearcats as Schneider put down a pair of kills as McKendree capitalized on five attack errors from Lewis to take a commanding 7-2 lead in the fifth. Williams stretched the lead to 10-5 with three kills before a kill and an ace from Schneider closed out the set and sealed the upset for the Bearcats.