(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 17)—The McKendree University women's volleyball team capped off a 3-0 week with a 3-1 decision over Great Lakes Valley Conference Foe Truman State University. The Bearcats won by scores of 19-25, 25-20, 25-17, and 25-12.
The win moves McKendree to 7-4 overall and 2-0 in GLVC play this season. The Bearcats return to action Sept. 23 as they begin a five-match road trip with Rockhurst University in Kansas City, MO.
McKendree was led offensively by junior outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) who landed a match high 14 kills to pair with 17 digs. Senior right side
Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) went 12-23 from the field, adding two digs, while senior middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) led the Bearcats in attack percentage for the second straight match going 11-14 for a .786 clip. Freshman outside hitter
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei ) chipped in six kills, seven digs, and three block for McKendree.
Senior setter
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) dished out a match high 23 assists to go with five digs, while sophomore setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) added 15 of her own to pair with five digs. Junior middle blocker
Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) put down five kills adding a match high seven blocks. Junior right side
Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) contributed five kills, four blocks, and three digs, while freshman libero
Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) stuck a match high 18 digs to aid the Bearcats defensively.
After Truman opened the scoring with a pair of kills, McKendree used a 4-0 run with a kills from Lorenz, Williams, and Fairman to move ahead 4-2 early in the first set and force a timeout from the Bulldogs. Truman turned things around with an 8-1 run aided by back-to-back service aces as the Bulldogs pawed ahead 15-10. The Bearcats were unable to pull closer than four points down the stretch as Truman took an early 1-0 lead.
McKendree captured a 5-2 lead in the second set before surrendering the early lead once again thanks to a 6-1 run from the Bulldogs as Truman gained a 8-6 edge. The Bearcats countered with four straight points including a pair of aces from Dickmann and a kill from Williams to go ahead 14-12. The teams traded points as Truman pulled within one at 18-17 before a pair of ball handling errors from the Bulldogs dug a three-point hole. After dropping a point McKendree reeled off three straight with a seeing eye dig from Zeitelhack that landed for a kill around campfire of Truman players. Schneider and
Dickmann finished off the run as Schneider laced a kill past the front line of the Bullldogs and Dickmann landed her third ace of the set. The five-point lead proved to be enough as McKendree held on to even the match at one.
The third set was a back and forth affair as the teams traded the first 13 points of the set with the Bearcats leading 7-6. A 4-1 run for McKendree pushed the Bearcats ahead 11-7, but Truman fired back with a 6-1 run to take a 13-12 lead. The teams continued to jockey for the lead as McKendree replied with three straight kills coming from the hands of Schneider, Williams, and Lorenz, before the Bulldogs strung together three points of their own to reclaim the lead at 16-15. The Bearcats wouldn't be outdone as McKendree rattled off a 10-1 run to close the set with the final four points all coming on Bearcat blocks.
The run seemed to deflate Truman as Mckendree scored five kills and two aces to open the fourth set with a 9-2 lead. The Bulldogs would cut into the lead at 13-8, but the Bearcats scored eight straight points to put a choke hold on the set as McKendree cruised to a 13-point win in what would be the final set of the match.
