(Lebanon, Ill., Jan. 6) --The McKendree University men's volleyball team dropped its second match of the day Friday evening in Santa Barbara, CA to No. 4 Long Beach State University 3-0. The Bearcats fell by scores of 29-27, 25-16, and 25-21.

The loss moves McKendree to 0-3 on the season. The Bearcats return to action tomorrow afternoon at 1:30 p.m. PST against the No. 7 Cardinal of Stanford University.

Senior opposite Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) led the way for McKendree hitting .417 after putting down 13 kills on 24 attacks. Junior outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) followed suit with 13 kills of his own. Senior setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) tallied 29 assists to go with a eight digs, while junior outside hitter Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) paired five kills with seven digs and sophomore libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) added seven digs from the back row.

The teams went back and forth through the first six points of the match as Walker scored the first kill for McKendree followed by a pair from Rueter. Rueter followed up with the next three kills for the Bearcats to pull Mckendree within striking distance at 12-11 before the Bearcats were finally able to break through with a 4-0 run to claim their first lead of the night at 15-14. The 49ers used a kill and an ace to reclaim the lead at 19-17, but McKendree struck back with three straight to go up 20-19. Long Beach took three of the next four points to swing ahead 23-2, but Walker brought the Bearcats back with a pair of kills to bookend a 3-0 run and give McKendree a 24-23 advantage, forcing a timeout from the 49ers. Long Beach responded with three kills over the next four points to flip the script at 26-25 and were able to hold on after a Rueter to kill with three of the final four points to earn the first set.

The Bearcats hung tough early in the second set Walker and senior middle attacker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) notched kills to pull McKendree within one at 8-7. The 49ers strung together a 6-1 run that included three aces to open up a 18-11 lead before coasting to a nine point win in the second set.

Walker, Rueter, and Patterson opened the scoring in the third set with a kill apiece to give McKendree an early 5-3 edge. Long Beach responded with five straight to go in front 9-6, before the Bearcats stormed back with a 7-3 run to go up 13-12. The 49ers bounced back to take a 16-14 lead, but Wilcox scored on a pair of swing as part of a 3-1 run to tie the set at 17. Long Beach mirrored the Bearcat run to go up 20-18 and followed with five of the final seven points to earn the 3-0 win.