(LEBANON, Ill., March 2) – The McKendree University men's volleyball team kicks off a ten-match road trip this weekend with a trio of non-conference matches. The Bearcats open their weekend slate Friday at 7 p.m. EST., against the Ivy Leagues Princeton University before facing New Jersey Institute of Technology Saturday at 7 p.m. EST., and Sacred Heart University Sunday at 5 p.m. EST.

McKendree is 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association, where they currently rank fifth in the nine team league.

The Bearcats are paced by sophomore outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) who boasts a team high 101 kills averaging 2.66 per set adding 37 digs and 14 blocks. Junior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) ranks second in kills with 85 and has a team high 3.04 kills per set. Walker has also tabbed 43 digs and 15 blocks for McKendree. Sophomore outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) rounds out the top three attackers for the Bearcats with 78 kills, 60 digs, and 16 blocks.

Sophomore setters Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) and Ian Zalewski (Orland Park, IL/Carl Sandburg) have split time at the setting position this season with Fiduccia handing out 270 assist, averaging 8.44 per set to go with 44 digs and 19 blocks, while Zalewski has tabbed 94 helpers at a rate of 8.55 per set with 14 digs and 4 blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) leads McKendree with 38 blocks including eight solos which ranks first in the MIVA this season. Schmidt has also posted a team high .330 attack percentage going 52-103 from the field. Junior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) sits just behind Schmidt with a .329 attack percentage. Patterson has put down 67 kills while tabbing 32 blocks. Freshman libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) has a team high 80 digs from the back row to aid the Bearcats defensively.

ABOUT PRINCETON UNIVERISTY

The Tigers enter the weekend with a 3-8 record after splitting a pair of matches with Harvard and Sacred Heart last weekend. Princeton is led by senior outside hitter Devin Stearns who accounts for nearly one-third of the Tigers offense putting down 138 of the teams 427 kills. Stearns averages 3.94 kills per set adding 46 digs and 16 blocks. Sophomore outside hitter Ratter Kendall is second on the team with 65 kills along with 38 digs and 12 blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Billy Andrew is third on the team with 57 kills to pair with a team high 30 blocks. Junior setter Chris Kennedy leads Princeton in assists with 292, while ranking second on the team in digs with 34. Senior libero Michael Bagnell has tallied a team high 88 digs for the Tigers this season. This marks the first meetings between the Ivy League staple Princeton University and McKendree and the teams have yet to face a common opponent.

ABOUT NEW JERSEY INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY

The Highlanders enter the weekend having won two of their last three matches to improve their record to 2-11 overall. New Jersey Institute of Technology utilizes a two-headed attack from junior outside hitter Jabarry Goodridge and senior outside hitter TJ Jurko. The pair are the only Highlanders to eclipse the century mark in kills with 167 and 151 respectively. Goodridge adds 42 digs and 24 blocks, while Jurko has tallied 53 digs and 10 blocks. Sophomore setter Cameron Tait paces the New Jersey Institute of Technology in assists with 333, handing them out at a rate of 8.12 per set. Tait has also compiled 54 digs, which ranks second on the team adding 16 blocks. Freshman libero Chris Wise has posted 88 digs to aid the Highlanders defensively. This is the second career meeting between McKendree and New Jersey Institute of Technology in the Bearcats three year history. The Highlanders edged McKendree in three sets back in March of 2014 in their first meeting. The Bearcats hold a 1-1 record in matches versus common opponents this season while New Jersey Institute of Technology is 0-2 in those matches.

ABOUT SACRED HEART UNIVERSITY

The Pioneers hold a record of 3-10 on the season after dropping a pair of matches a week ago to the first two teams on the schedule of McKendree this weekend in Princeton and New Jersey Institute of Technology. Sacred Heart is led offensively by junior opposite Chris DeLucie who has put down a team high 154 kills to go with 64 digs and 27 blocks. Junior outside hitter Michael Comens ranks second in kills with 137 adding 38 digs and 11 blocks. Senior outside hitter Austin Arcala rounds out their top three offensive attackers with 79 kills, averaging a team high 3.43 kills per set with 37 digs and 19 blocks. Junior setter Eduardo Zardo has handed out a team high 393 assists at a rate of 9.14 per set to pair with 50 digs. Sophomore libero Joshua Ayzenburg has tallied a team high 122 digs to help out the Pioneers defensively.  This will be the first matchup in program history with Sacred Heart. The Pioneers are 0-2 against common opponents of the Bearcats this season, while McKendree is 1-1 in similar matches.