(LEBANON, Ill., Jan. 25)--The McKendree University men's volleyball team earned its second straight victory Wednesday evening in its Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association opener over Lindenwood University. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-21, 25-22, 23-25, and 25-21.

The win bumps McKendree to 3-6 overall and 1-0 in the MIVA this season. The Bearcats return to action Friday in Charleston, WV against the University of Charleston.

McKendree was led by junior outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) who notched a double-double with 15 kills and 10 digs along with three blocks. Junior outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) finished second on the team with 14 kills on 24 attempts for a .417 attack percentage adding six digs and two aces and senior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) added 11 kills, two digs, and two blocks.

Junior setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) dished out a match high 43 assists, earning a double-double with 11 digs. Senior middle blocker Michael Polizzi (St. Louis, MO/DeSmet Jesuit) put down a match high four blocks, and sophomore libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) stuck a match high 13 digs from the back row to aid the Bearcats defensively.

The teams opened the match with a pair of service aces from each side before back to back kills from Patterson and Fiduccia gave McKendree a 4-2 lead. The Lions pulled within one before Rueter and Wilcox landed two kills in a row to give the Bearcats a 10-7 edge. Lindenwood rallied to tie the set at 12 with a 3-0 run before taking its first lead of the night at 16-15 after landing two straight points. McKendree used a 5-2 run to reclaim the lead at 20-18 before a 4-0 run put the set out of reach capped off on an ace from Wilcox as the Bearcats took the first set by four.

Each team scored early in the second set, but the Lions maintained the lead at 3-2, 4-3, and 5-4 before McKendree was able to break through with a block from Polizzi and a kill from Walker to go ahead 6-5. Lindenwood rallied to take an 11-9 lead before surrendering three straight as the Bearcats regained control at 12-11. A 4-0 run extended the lead to 17-13 that featured three straight kills from Rueter, Walker, and Polizzi, but the Lions countered with a 5-1 spree to tie the set at 18. McKendree used a pair of kills from Wilcox to move ahead 21-20 before closing the set with a 3-0 run on a kill and an ace from Wilcox and a kill from Walker.

Lindenwood came out on top in the third set before jumping ahead 9-6 to start the fourth set. Rueter tagged a pair of kills to cut the lead to one at 10-9, but the Lions continued to score as the margin moved to two points at 14-12. The Bearcats struck back with a 3-0 spree that had a kill from Rueter and an ace from Walker to take a 15-14 lead before moving pushing ahead 18-16 on a kill from Wilcox and a block from Polizzi. Lindenwood pulled within one point at 21-20, but the hope was short lived after McKendree closed out the set with a 4-1 run capped off on an ace from Rueter to earn the win.