Box Score (LEBANON, Ill., February 26) -- The McKendree University volleyball team dropped a four-set decision to Lewis University Friday night at the Harry M Statham Sports Center in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association match. The Bearcats fell by scores of 25-26, 25-20, 27-29, 25-15.

The win moves McKendree to 3-5 on the season and 3-4 in MIVA play. The Bearcats return to action Saturday at 7 p.m. as they host the two-time defending national champions of Loyola University-Chicago.

Junior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) led McKendree in kills with 15 and was just two digs shy of a double-double, finishing with eight. Sophomore outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) was second in kills with 12, while sophomore middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) finished third with eight on just 12 attempts for a .429 attack percentage.

Sophomore setter Ian Zalewski (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) passed out a team high 31 assist, adding four digs and two blocks. Junior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) and sophomore outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) each tallied six kills and freshman libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) tabbed six digs from the back row for the Bearcats.

McKendree took and early 3-1 advantage to start the match with kills from Rueter and Walker, but the Flyers went on a 15-4 run to take command of the first set 16-7. The Bearcats capitalized on an ace from Rueter and kill from Wilcox to spark a three point run, but could not string together enough points down the stretch and fell in set one.

The Bearcats trailed 7-4 early in set two before back to back kills from Walker and Rueter followed by an ace from Walker tied the set at seven. The teams exchanged points before an 8-2 run from Lewis put McKendree into a hole at 22-15. The Bearcats responded with back to back kills from Walker and Schmidt and went on to take six of the next eight points to cut the lead to just three, but could not overcome the deficit and fell by five.

Following intermission McKendree came to life in set three taking an early 3-0 lead. Lewis rallied to tie the set at 4-4 and again at 5-5 before the Bearcats burst ahead with a 9-2 run that included a pair of kills each from Walker and Schmidt. McKendree extended that lead to 18-10 after another four point run capped off with back to back kills from Schmidt. Lewis refused to let the set slip away as they rattled off seven straight points to cut the lead to a single point at 20-19. The Bearcats tried to keep the Flyers at an arm's length with a pair of points to push ahead by three, but Lewis responded by taking five of the next six points to go up by one and move to match point. A service error tied the set at 25, and the teams traded points moving the set to 27 all before McKendree was able to close out the set with a pair of points.

Looking to tie the match at two the Bearcats took an early lead in set four with kills from Rueter and Walker, but the Flyers countered with a six point run to take a five point lead. McKendree used kills from Patterson, Rueter and Wilcox to help trim the lead to three, but that was as close as the Bearcats could come as Lewis was able to maintain control down the stretch and sealed the match in four sets.