(LEBANON, Ill., Nov. 11) -- The McKendree University women's volleyball team improved to 9-0 at home this season with a 3-1 victory over Bellarmine University in a Great Lakes Valley Conference matchup. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-22, 24-26, 25-10, and 25-21.
McKendree improves to 20-9 overall and 15-2 in the GLVC. The Bearcats return to action tomorrow at 5 p.m. against the University of Southern Indiana on Senior Day.
McKendree was led offensively by junior outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) who tagged 20 kills to go with 12 digs. Senior outside hitter
Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) also recorded a double-double with 16 kills and 14 digs along with three blocks. Senior middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) reached double figures with 10 kills, adding a pair of digs and three blocks. Junior middle blocker
Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) put down eight kills while posting a match high .333 attack percentage. Lorenz also landed a match high seven blocks.
Senior setter
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) dished out a team high 32 assists adding 10 digs and sophomore setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) chipped in 19 assists to go with two kills, two digs, and four blocks. Junior right side
Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) scored nine kills and three blocks while freshman libero
Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) and senior defensive specialist
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) each tabbed 14 digs from the back row.
McKendree used a 4-0 run capped off by back to back kills from Lorenz to give the Bearcats an early 10-4 lead. Bellarmine capitalized on a 6-1 run to trim the Bearcats lead to just one at 14-13. Williams responded with two straight kills to spark a 5-1 run for the Bearcats that was finished off by three straight kills including a pair from Fairman. The Knights took three of the next four points to close the gap, but McKendree was able to close out the set with three kills on the final four points to take a 1-0 lead.
Bellarmine bounced back in the second set using a 4-0 run to jump in front 10-6. McKendree responded with a pair of three point runs that featured a trio of kills from Williams along with a pair of kills from Schneider that gave the Bearcats a one-point edge. The teams traded kills and the lead until a 3-1 run from McKendree gave the Bearcats a 22-21 lead. The Knights landed back to back kills to reclaim the lead, but Williams and Fairman tallied two straight kills to force set point at 24-23. Bellarmine responded with two straight points to take a one-point lead and force and timeout from McKendree and were able to close out the set with a kill to tie the match at 1-1.
After intermission the Bearcats streaked out to a 9-1 lead after scorching eight straight points that included three kills from Geiger and two from Williams. Bellarmine bounced back with three straight points, but McKendree roared back with an 8-1 run to push the lead to 17-5 and rolled to a 15-point win in the third set.
The Bearcats used another strong start in the fourth set with a 7-1 run to take an early 9-3 lead. Williams and Fairman scored back to back kills to push the lead to seven before extending that lead to eight with a 3-1 spree. Bellarmine hung tough using a 9-3 run to jump back into the set at 17-15, but McKendree proved to be too much for the Knights down the stretch after Williams and Schneider tallied kills as part of a 4-1 run to push the set out of reach.
