(LEBANON, Ill., March 25)—The McKendree University men's volleyball team dropped a three-set decision to Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne Friday night in Fort Wayne, IN. The Bearcats fell by scores of 25-23, 26-24, and 25-18.

The loss moves McKendree to 9-9 overall on the season and 4-7 in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The Bearcats are back in action Saturday in their final road contest of the season against conference foe Ball State University at 7:30 p.m. EST.

McKendree was paced offensively by junior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) who was the only Bearcat to reach double figures in kills with 10. Walker added five digs and two blocks for McKendree. Junior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) finished second on the team in kills with eight to go with one dig and a team high six blocks. Sophomore middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) and sophomore outside hitter each tabbed five kills. Schmidt added two digs and three blocks while Rueter contributed two digs and four blocks.

Sophomore setter Ian Zaleweski tallied a team high 26 assists to go with six digs. Sophomore outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) put down three kills to go with four digs and three blocks, and freshman libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) notched a team high eight digs from the back row. 

The Bearcats started strong as they jumped out to an early 12-7 lead in the first set thanks to a five point run that started on a kill from Wilcox. The Mastodons began to chip away as they used a 5-2 run to cut the lead to just two points at 14-12. McKendree continued to hold IPFW at bay clinging to that two point advantage through the middle stages of the set all the way to 21-19. The Mastodons finally broke through with back to back points to tie the match, but the Bearcats recaptured the lead at 22-21 and again at 23-22. IPFW countered by rattling off the final three points to steal the first set by just two points.

The teams played even through the first 14 points of set two before the Bearcats took a brief lead on a kill from Walker to give McKendree an 8-7 lead. The Mastodons responded with four straight points including three kills to open an 11-8 edge. IPFW attempted to keep the Bearcats at an arm's length, but McKendree broke through with back to back points to cut the lead to just one, followed by a five point run to capture the lead at 22-19 and force a timeout from the Mastodons. IPFW rallied after the stoppage to tie things at 22 apiece, and followed up with a pair of points to force set point at 24-23. The Bearcats pulled even on a kill from Walker, but coughed up back to back errors to hand set two the IPFW.

The Mastodons utilized that momentum in the third set opening with a 7-3 lead. After McKendree cut the lead to just a pair IPFW connected on three straight kills to take a commanding five point lead. The Bearcats couldn't solve the Mastodons down the stretch, surrendering a three and four point run as IPFW closed the match out in just three sets.