(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 19) — The McKendree University men's volleyball team topped Quincy University 3-1 in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association match Sunday afternoon inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. The Bearcats won by scores of 25-23, 25-20, 29-31, and 25-23.

The win bumps McKendree to 6-11 overall and 2-4 in league play.

Junior outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) recorded 16 kills to go with four digs and six blocks to pace McKendree. Junior middle hitter Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) also reached double figures with 11 kills on 16 swings to go with six blocks. Senior opposite Andrew Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) put down nine kills along with three digs and three blocks, and senior middle hitter Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) added seven kills on 13 attempts to pair with five blocks.

Junior setter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) handed out a match high 40 assists along with four digs and three blocks. Senior setter Jackson MacLean (Lincoln, NE/Lincoln Southeast) added eight assists and recorded his 1,000-career assist on the final point of the match. Sophomore outside hitter Will Frank (Moro, IL/Edwardsville) tallied six kills, adding seven digs and four blocks. Sophomore libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) stuck a team high eight digs from the back row as the Bearcats held Quincy to a .174 team attack percentage.

Rueter put down a pair of kills to give McKendree an early 5-4 lead in the opening set. Patterson put down a kill followed by an ace from Schnittker on back-to-back points as the score shifted to 9-8 in favor of the Bearcats. The Hawks countered with a 3-0 run to take an 11-9 lead, but McKendree wouldn't be out done as Rueter and Schmidt scored two straight kills to spark a 4-0 run as the Bearcats regained control at 14-12. Quincy strung together another 3-0 spree to reclaim the lead at 19-18, before a kill from Schmidt knotted the set at 21 all. The Hawks put down the next point to take a brief lead at 22-21 before a 3-0 run from Mckendree that featured back-to-back kills from Schmidt followed by an ace from Rueter closed set one for the Bearcats.

McKendree bolted out to a 10-4 lead in set two with a 7-1 run as Schmidt and Rueter recorded a pair of blocks each. Quincy trimmed the lead to 14-11 before a 3-0 run from the Bearcats stretched the lead back to six at 17-11. Reuter connected on two straight swings to move the deficit to 20-13 as McKendree coasted to a five-point win in the second set.

The Bearcats used a pair of 3-0 runs to open the third set with a 10-7 lead, but Quincy was able to pull within one after taking three of the next four points. Frank put down a kill and a block as the score shifted to 15-11, but the Hawks fought back with a 5-0 run to go on top 18-17. McKendree replied with a 4-0 run of its own to take a 22-20 lead before a kill from Patterson forced match point at 24-22. Quincy flipped the script with three straight point as it attempted to force a fourth set at 25-24. Two straight errors from the Hawks breathed life back into the Bearcats, and the teams continued to jockey for the lead trading a pair of 2-0 runs as the set moved to 28-27 in favor of McKendree. The Hawks put down a kill to tie the set at 28 all, before a setting error put the Bearcats back in control at 29-28. The lead was short lived, as Quincy would grind out three straight kills to close the set.

The Hawks picked up where they left off in set four using a 3-0 run to take an early 9-7 lead. McKendree clawed back taking five of the next six points as Rueter and Schmidt put down a kill each to vault the Bearcats ahead 12-10. Quincy rallied to tie the set at 15 before surrendering three straight kills including a pair from Rueter to put Mckendree back in front at 18-15. The Hawks would not go away using a 5-2 run to square things at 20 before the teams traded points as the set shifted to 22-22. A pair of miscues from Quincy pushed the Hawks to the brink at 24-22 before a kill from Schmidt closed out the match for the Bearcats.