(Evansville, IN., Sept. 30)—The McKendree University women's volleyball team secured a 3-1 win over the University of Southern Indiana in a Great Lakes Valley Conference match. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-19, 25-9, 24-26, and 25-21.
The win moves McKendree to 9-5 overall and 4-1 in GLVC play. The Bearcats return to the court tomorrow afternoon at 3 p.m. against Bellarmine University in Louisville, KY.
Junior outside hitter
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) paced McKendree with a team high 15 kills to go with 19 digs. Senior right side
Allison Schneider (St. Louis, MO/Lindbergh) recorded 11 kills to pair with 4 four digs.
Senior middle hitter
Sophie Fairman (Staunton, IL/Staunton) was the only other Bearcat to reach double figures in kills with 10 while hitting .409. Junior right side
Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) connected on nine attacks while recording a match high seven blocks.
Sophomore setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) picked up a double-double with a team high 24 assists and 11 digs. Senior setter
Aubry Dickmann (Edwardsville, IL/Edwardsville) was just behind her with 23 assists and nine digs. Junior middle blocker
Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) put down six kills and five blocks, while freshman outside hitter
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei ) contributed four kills and nine digs. Freshman libero
Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) had a match high 24 digs from the back row to help limit the Eagles to just a .054 attack percentage.
McKendree started the match hot with a pair of kills from Geiger and Williams and an ace from Lorenz to open 3-0. Schneider cashed in on four of the next seven kills for the Bearcats as McKendree moved in front 17-12 midway through the set. Southern Indiana swung back with three straight points, but the Bearcats countered with a 4-0 run on kills from Voss, Lorenz, and Williams. Williams continued to produce as she put down back to back kills to put McKendree in front 23-18 as the Bearcats went on to take the first set by six.
The second set was all McKendree as the Bearcats used an 11-0 run to bolt ahead 14-5. Schneider landed three kills during the run with Voss adding two of her own as McKendree strolled to a 16 point win.
Things looked bleak for the Eagles in the third set as Fairman put down a pair of kills to help the Bearcats open a 9-5 lead. Southern Indiana wouldn't go away quietly however, as the Eagles strung together four three point runs including the final three points of the set as Southern Indiana came out ahead of an extended set three.
The Eagles picked up where they left off in the fourth set as they attempted to force a fifth set. Southern Indiana used a 5-0 run to open an early 6-3 lead. The Bearcats used a kill from Fairman and an ace from Zeitelhack to spark a four point run that put McKendree on top 10-9. The teams followed suit with a pair of 4-1 runs on each side as the deficit remained just one at 15-14. After the Eagles tied the set at 15 the Bearcats ripped off three straight points on kills from Geiger and Fairman and an ace from Dickmann. Fairman, Schneider, and Lorenz all put down kills as McKendree pushed ahead 23-19. Southern Indiana scored back to back points to pull within two, but Williams and Geiger closed the match with a kill apiece to give the Bearcats the win.
