(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 10) – The McKendree University men's volleyball team will embark on its first road trip of the season this weekend with a pair of Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matches. The Bearcats will face tough road tilts, starting with the national runner up Lewis University on Thursday night at 7 p.m. in Romeoville, Ill, followed by a Saturday night match with the two time defending national champion Loyola University-Chicago at 7 p.m. in Chicago, Ill.

McKendree is 1-2 overall and 1-1 in MIVA play after splitting a pair of conference matches last weekend.

The Bearcats are led by junior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) who boasts a team high .397 attack percentage, good enough for fourth overall in the MIVA. Patterson ranks second on the team with 33 kills with a team high 14 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) leads McKendree in kills with 34, while also tabbing 20 digs and 12 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) rounds out the top three scorers for McKendree tallying 25 kills, 27 digs, and 12 blocks.

Sophomore setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) leads the team with 97 of the Bearcats 136 assists, averaging 7.46 per set. Fiduccia has also notched 22 digs and six blocks providing stout defense from the setting position. Sophomore middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) and junior Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) made their season debuts last Saturday in the Bearcats first win of the season, Schmidt put down 12 kills and a team high eight blocks, while Walker was successful on nine attacks and also contributed nine digs and three blocks providing an extra jolt into the defensive attack. Freshman Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) has had a strong start to his collegiate career with a team leading 34 digs averaging 2.43 per set which ranks third in the MIVA and provides a stable presence in the back row for McKendree.

ABOUT LEWIS UNIVERSITY
The No. 14 ranked Flyers are off to an 8-4 start including a 3-1 mark in the MIVA this season. Lewis is riding a two-match win streak after sweeping a pair of MIVA matches last weekend against Quincy University and Lindenwood University. The Flyers have a bevy options offensively with four different players averaging over two kills per set. Senior middle blocker Bobby Walsh and freshman outside hitter Julian Moses are tied with a team high 89 kills, as Walsh who leads the MIVA in attack percentage at .552 has added a 37 blocks and 17 digs, while Moses who averages a team high 3.18 kills per set has totaled 30 digs and 16 blocks.

The other top attackers for the Flyers include junior outside hitter Trevor Weiskircher and freshman opposite Mitch Perinar who have put down 80 and 79 kills respectively. Junior middle blocker Jacob Schmiegelt has team high 50 blocks and ranks second in the MIVA averaging 1.19 per set. Freshman libero Jake Walenga ranks third in the MIVA with a team high 84 digs from the back row of the Flyers. Lewis swept the season series with McKendree a year ago taking both matches by a score of 3-1.

ABOUT LOYOLA UNIVERSITY-CHICAGO
The two time defending national champion Ramblers enter the weekend with a 7-2 record including a 2-0 note in MIVA play. Loyola rides a seven-match win streak after dropping their opening pair of matches, also topping Lindenwood and Quincy in their opening conference matches last weekend. Loyola is led by outside hitter Ricky Gevis who ranks fifth in the MIVA with 99 kills. The 6'11" sophomore has also tabbed 37 digs and 24 blocks. Senior outside hitter Trevor Novotny is second on the team with 76 kills, adding 43 digs and 16 blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Jeff Jendryk is the only other Rambler to average more than two kills per set, putting down 60 kills and 32 blocks.

Senior middle blocker Nick Olson is third in the MIVA in attack percentage, leading Loyola at a .424 clip. Olsen, also leads the conference averaging 1.45 blocks per set totaling 48 on the season. Senior setter Peter Hutz has handed out a league high 10.78 assists per set while adding 44 digs and 28 blocks. McKendree dropped a pair of matches to the Ramblers last season.