(LEBANON, Ill., March 12)—The McKendree University men's volleyball team dropped a 3-0 decision to Grand Canyon University Saturday night in Phoenix, AZ. The Bearcats fell by scores of 25-20, 25-23, and 25-21.

The loss moves the Bearcats overall record to 6-8 and slides them back into a tie with the Antelopes in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association as McKendree dips to 4-6 in league play.

Junior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) tied for a match high 17 kills on just 24 attempts from the field for a .667 attack percentage. Sophomore outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) put down nine kills while hitting at a .500 clip. Junior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) also tallied nine kills for the Bearcats.

Sophomore setter Ian Zalewski (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) tabbed a team high 33 assists. Sophomore middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) went 7-12 from the field to pair with a match high five blocks. Freshman libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) tied for a match high five digs from the back row for McKendree.

The Antelopes forced the Bearcats to earn their points in the first set as McKendree scored its first 11 points on kills before Grand Canyon committed an error. Walker put down three of the first twelve kills while Wilcox, Patterson, and Schmidt each added a pair. The Antelopes opened things up with a three point run to extend their lead to 16-12.

The Bearcats hung tough with a pair of kills from sophomore outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington), but could not close the gap and dropped the first set by five.
After falling behind early in the second set McKendree used a 4-1 run capped off on a kill from Schmidt and an ace from Walker to even the set at eight. The teams exchanged points before Grand Canyon used another three point run to break things open at 17-13. The Bearcats responded with a three point spree of their own which included a kill from Patterson to pull McKendree within one, but the Bearcats could not find a way to pull ahead down the stretch and fell in a 2-0 hole after dropping the second set by just two points.

Grand Canyon looked to close things out with a strong start in the third set as they opened with a 6-2 lead. The teams played even through the middle stages of the set as the lead remained intact at 16-12. The Bearcats attempted to rally using a pair of kills from Rueter and Patterson to pull within just two points at 21-19, but were unable to solve the Antelopes down the stretch falling in three sets.

McKendree returns to action Mar. 16 against Lees-Mcrae College in Banner Elk, NC.