(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 15)—The McKendree University women's volleyball team opens Great Lakes Valley Conference play with a pair of home matches this weekend inside the Harr M. Statham Sports Center. The Bearcats play host to Quincy University Friday at 7 p.m. followed by a Saturday matinee against Truman State University at 3 p.m.
McKendree enters GLVC play with a 5-4 record after topping Lindenwood University in its home opener Tuesday evening. The Bearcats look to follow up a successful 2015 campaign which saw them go 15-3 in conference play before earning the top seed in the East Division of the GLVC Tournament. McKendree posted a record of 8-1 in home contests a season ago on the way to a third straight 20-win season.
Junior outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) has led the charge for the Bearcats with a team high 108 kills. Williams is also second on the team in digs with 86 and fourth in blocks with 15. Senior outside hitter
Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) ranks second on the team with 94 kills to go with 73 digs. Junior right side Amanada Geiger is third on the team in both kills and blocks with 72 and 24 respectively. Senior middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) has put 68 kills, while leading the team in attack percentage at .399. Fairman also leads McKendree in blocks with 36.
Senior setter
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) leads the Bearcats in assists with 172 to go with 54 digs. Sophomore setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) has handed out 167 assists to pair with 58 digs. Junior middle blocker
Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) is second on the squad in blocks with 28, while putting down 44 kills. Senior libero
Breanna Howe (Mt. Pulaski, IL/Mt. Pulaski) has a team high 116 digs from the backrow which puts her in the top ten in the GLVC thus far.
ABOUT QUINCY UNIVERSITY
The Hawks enter the weekend with an overall record of 4-4. Quincy is led offensively by sophomore outside hitter Taylor McMonagle who leads the team in kills with 102, adding 105 digs. Senior middle blocker Emily Lindemulder is second on the team in both kills and blocks with 76 and 22 apiece. Junior setter Miranda Rodriguez leads the team in assists with 197, averaging 8.95 per set. Junior middle Jessica Licurgo has posted a team high 23 blocks to go with 50 kills, and junior libero Rachel Shores adds a team high 116 digs to aid the Hawks defensively. The teams have yet to face a common opponent. McKendree is 3-2 versus Quincy since transitioning to Division II. The Bearcats topped the Hawks in their only meeting a year ago.
ABOUT TRUMAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Truman sports a record of 1-7 this season after dealing with a tough non-conference slate that pitted the Bulldogs against four ranked opponents including two top five teams in Concordia-St. Paul and Western Washington who ranked No. 1 and No. 5 when the teams squared off on the opening weekend of the season. Truman is paced by senior outside hitter Kayla Bastian who leads the team in kills with 93 and digs with 122. Senior middle hitter Bailey O'Drobinak is second on the team in kills and blocks with 54 and 21 respectively. Sophomore middle hitter Natalie Brimeyer ranks first in blocks with 40 to go with 31 kills. Sophomore setter Savvy Hughes leads the Bulldogs in assists with 166, averaging 5.53 per set. Freshman libero comes in just behind Bastian in digs with 120 from the back row for Truman. The teams do not share a common opponent thus far, while the Bearcats are just 1-5 all-time versus the Bulldogs, with their only victory coming last September in a 3-1 decision.
