(Kansas City, MO., Sept. 23)—The McKendree University women's volleyball team upset the No. 25 ranked Hawks of Rockhurst University Friday evening in Kansas City, MO in a Great Lakes Valley Conference showdown. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-21, 25-22, 16-25, 24-26, and 15-12.

The win bumps the Bearcats to 8-4 overall and 3-0 in GLVC play this season. McKendree returns to action tomorrow at 3 p.m. against William Jewell College in Liberty, MO.

The Bearcats were led offensively by senior right side Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) and junior outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) who tied for a match high 16 kills. Schneider hit .303 adding three digs and two blocks, while Williams notched a double-double tabbing 18 digs. Senior middle hitter Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) tallied 13 kills and tied for a match high with six blocks. Freshman libero Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) had a stellar night from the back row recording 28 digs, averaging 5.60 per set.

Sophomore setter Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) dished out a match high 29 assists to go with 11 digs, while senior setter Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) tallied 25 assists and eight digs. Freshman middle hitter Megan Marks (Colgate, WI/Germantown) went 8-16 from the field to pair with three blocks and freshman outside hitter Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei ) added four kills and seven digs for McKendree.

Schneider and Fairman kicked off the scoring for the Bearcats in the first set with a pair of kills each as McKendree took an early 9-8 lead. Rockhurst fought back to take a 13-12 advantage before surrendering four straight points including back to back kills from Williams and junior right side Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) to put the Bearcats in front 16-13. The Hawks landed two straight to pull within one at 16-15, but it was as close as they would come to regaining the lead as McKendree led for the remainder of the set with Marks, Fairman, and Williams all tallying multiple kills down the stretch for the Bearcats.

Williams and Voss each landed a kill to help spark a 4-0 run to give McKendree a 12-8 lead early in the second set. Rockhurst countered with three straight to pull within one as the teams traded points through the middle stages of the set and the scored knotted at 20-20. The Bearcats broke through with three straight points after kills from Geiger and Voss followed by an ace from Melchert to put the Hawks on the ropes. Rockhurst took two of the next three points, but were unable to extend the set after a kill from Marks gave the Bearcats a two set lead.

After intermission Rockhurst came out firing using three runs of at least four points including an 11-2 run to pull within one heading into the fourth set. The Hawks picked up where they left off in the fourth, using a 5-0 run to capture an early 6-2 lead. McKendree bounced back with four straight kills from Williams, Schneider, Fairman, and senior right side Bailey Kampwerth (Breese, IL/Mater Dei) to tie the set at six. The Bearcats continued to roll with another 3-0 run to take an 11-8 edge before extending the lead to 15-11 as Schneider, Williams, and Fairman all put down kills. Rockhurst battled back with a three point spree of their own before pulling within one at 18-17 on back to back points. The set continued to swing back and forth as McKendree strung together a 4-1 run starting with a kill from Marks and blocks from Williams and Fairman to force set point at 24-20. The Hawks wouldn't go away quietly as they rattled off the final six points of the set to force a decisive fifth set.

The Bearcats regrouped and stormed out in front 3-0 in the race to 15 on kills from Geiger and Williams. McKendree extended the lead to 6-2 on back to back kills from Williams before Rockhurst turned things around with a 5-2 run to pull within one at 8-7.Scneider, Fairman, and Geiger tallied a kill apiece as the teams traded points to keep the deficit at just one point with the Bearcats in front 13-12. Williams connected to force set point for McKendree before Schneider finished off the job to give the Bearcats the win.