(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 16) – The McKendree University men's volleyball team wraps up its first road trip of the season this week with a pair of Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matches. The Bearcats travel to St. Charles, MO for a Wednesday night affair with Lindenwood University before finishing up in Quincy, IL Friday night with Quincy University.

McKendree is 1-4 overall on the season and 1-3 in the MIVA this season.

The Bearcats are paced by sophomore outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) who has a team high 54 kills, averaging 2.57 per set. Wilcox has also tallied 25 digs and 11 blocks. Junior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) is second on the team with 41 kills and has posted a team high 21 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) and junior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) have each topped the 30 kill mark with 39 and 33 respectively. Rueter is also second on the team in digs with 37 while adding 16 blocks. Walker has added 20 digs and eight blocks while playing in just three of the Bearcats five matches.

Sophomore setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) has distributed a team high 163 assists averaging 8.15 per set while tabbing 31 digs. Sophomore middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) has totaled 19 blocks in three matches including a team high five solos. Schmidt also leads the MIVA in blocks per set at 1.58. Freshman libero Zack Thompson has contributed a team high 47 digs from the back row for the Bearcats averaging 2.47 per set, which ranks third in the conference.

ABOUT LINDENWOOD UNIVERSITY

Lindenwood has started off the season 2-7, going 0-3 in MIVA play. The Lions enter the week on a three game skid after dropping a pair of matches to Lewis University and Loyola University-Chicago last weekend. Lindenwood is led by junior opposite Ryan Moore who ranks third in the MIVA with a team high 94 kills. Moore averages 3.76 kills per set while also totaling 26 digs and 12 blocks. Moore also ranks second in the MIVA in service aces with 16. Junior outside hitter Jake Duckworth is the second half of the Lions two headed attack ranking second in both kills and digs with 89 and 32.

Freshman setter Adam Brewster leads Lindenwood in assists averaging 7.95 per set with 159 on the season. Sophomore libero Ryan Vorderer slides in just behind Thompson sitting in fourth in the MIVA in digs per set averaging 2.23 with a team high of 58. Freshman middle blocker Connor Hipelius has put down a team high 19 blocks to help the Lions defensive front line. Lindenwood and McKendree share an identical 0-3 record versus common opponents this season, while the Lions swept the season series with the Bearcats a year ago with a pair of wins.

ABOUT QUINCY UNIVERSITY

Quincy is off to a 7-10 start, including a 1-4 mark in the MIVA this season. The Hawks split a pair of MIVA matches last weekend against Grand Canyon University and currently ride a two-match win streak after picking up a win over Hannibal-Lagrange University. Quincy utilizes a balanced attack with four players topping 100 kills this season. Junior middle blocker Jarrod Kelso leads the Hawks with 128 kills, ranking fifth in the MIVA this season. Kelso also leads Quincy in blocks with 50. Senior opposite Chris Chappelle ranks second on the team with 113 kills, averaging a team high 2.57 per set. Chappelle leads the Hawks in digs with 70, adding 24 blocks.

Senior outside hitter Ian Lawson and senior opposite Jack Gamache have each topped the century mark with 109 and 102 apiece. Junior setter Thane Fanfulik has a team high 442 adding 46 kills, 58 digs, and 29 blocks. Quincy is 1-3 against common opponents dropping matches to Loyola and Lewis, while splitting a pair of matches with Missouri Baptist. McKendree is 0-3 dropping matches to each of those teams. The Hawks swept the season series with the Bearcats a season ago taking each match by scores of 3-1 and 3-0.