(Lebanon, Ill., Oct. 18) -- The McKendree University women's volleyball team returns to conference play this weekend, taking on a pair of Great Lakes Valley Conference opponents at the Statham Sports Center. On Friday, the Bearcats will match up with the William Jewell College Cardinals at 7 pm, before taking on the GLVC West Division leaders, Rockhurst University, at 3 pm. McKendree is coming off a 1-2 performance at the 10^th annual Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover Tournament in Aurora, IL. The Bearcats are 15-5 overall on the year, after blazing through the first half of GLVC action, winning their first nine conference matches.

McKendree boasts two players in the GLVC top five for kills, in senior outside hitter Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) and senior right-side hitter Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran). Williams is currently leading the GLVC in kills, averaging 4.64 per set, and has collected 199 digs and 41 total blocks this season. Geiger is averaging 3.69 kills per set, and is second on the team in digs, averaging 3.48 per set. She has also put away 57 total blocks, earning the 200^th of her career at the Midwest Region Crossover.

Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) is fourth in the GLVC in assists, averaging 10.32 per set. The junior setter surpassed the 2,000 career assists mark on Saturday versus the Northern Michigan University Wildcats. She is also averaging more than three digs per set, placing her third for the Bearcats in that category.

Senior middle blocker Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) leads the Bearcats with 92 total blocks, and averaged 1.5 per set in three matches last weekend. The native of New Lenox, IL has also contributed 93 kills on the season. Another middle for McKendree, sophomore Megan Marks (Colgate, WI/Germantown), has contributed 77 total blocks and 93 kills.

Sophomore Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei) has recorded a team-high 314 digs, for an average of 4.08 per set. Freshman outside hitter Elle Russell (Festus, MO/St. Pius X) is in the top five on the team in both kills and digs in her inaugural collegiate season.

If you are unable to make it to either of the matches this weekend, they are available for live streaming on the GLVC Sports Network at http://www.glvcsn.com/mckendree/.
 
 
William Jewell College Cardinals (8-14, 2-7 GLVC)
The Cardinals last match was a road contest against the #18 University of Central Missouri Jennies on Tuesday night, which they lost in straight sets. They currently sit in fourth position out of the five GLVC West Division teams.

Freshman Maddie Wingert is the top offensive contributor for WJC, averaging 2.43 kills per set, to go along with 28 total blocks. Senior middle hitter Grace Miller is hitting .244 and ranks second on the team in kills, with 138. The native of Lawrence, KS leads the Cardinals in blocking, putting down a total of 57 on the year. Freshman middle Elizabeth Quinn is averaging more than two kills per set.

Junior libero Olivia Tolberd is third in the GLVC in digs per set, averaging 5.42. Senior setter Alix Weigel has recorded 7.34 assists per set, as well as 182 digs. Sophomore Kennedy Ruckh has collected 134 digs, for a per-set average of 2.09.

Junior Stefanie Richterkessing has put away 129 kills and has picked up 195 digs, averaging just over three per set. Another junior for William Jewell, Paige Cunningham, has also put away 126 kills. The right-side hitter from Topeka, KS has also compiled 192 digs and 17 service aces this season.

The Bearcats are 3-1 against the Cardinals in GLVC play, with William Jewell winning last season in five sets.
 

Rockhurst University Hawks (17-5, 6-3 GLVC)
The Hawks are currently leading the GLVC West Division, following a 6-3 start in conference play, and received votes in the latest AVCA Division II Coaches Poll. They had a very successful Midwest Region Crossover outing, winning all three of their matches, defeating Northern Michigan, Wayne State and Walsh. Rockhurst boasts one of the top offenses in the conference, as they are ranked in the top three in team kills, assists and hitting percentage.

Sophomore outside hitter Alyssa Woodman leads Rockhurst with 243 kills, and her 3.33 kills per set is sixth best in the GLVC. The native of Omaha, NE is second on her team in digs, and has collected 29 total blocks. Another sophomore, Karli Reichert, has put away an average of three kills per set, 1.49 digs per set and has added 40 total blocks. Senior libero Anne Hellwege is top ten in the conference in digs per set, averaging 4.78, with 349 total.

Rockhurst has three players in the GLVC top five for hitting percentage, in senior Grace Carter, sophomore Mary Rolf, and junior Emily Matio. Carter has been the top setter for the Hawks, contributing 544 assists. The St. Louis, MO native has also picked up 137 digs, 114 kills and 23 total blocks. Rolf has put down 145 kills and leads the Hawks with 66 total blocks, while Matio is averaging 1.82 kills per set to go with 49 total blocks.

Freshman Audrey Arand is ranked in the top five on the team in kills, averaging 2.21 per set. The outside hitter from Union, MO has also compiled 19 total blocks, and is hitting .234 on the year. Junior defensive specialist Kalie Arnold has recorded 172 digs, for a per-set average of 2.36.

The Bearcats and Hawks have played six times since McKendree joined the GLVC in 2012, with each team winning three matches. They last met in the 2016 GLVC tournament semifinals, with the Bearcats sweeping Rockhurst in three sets.