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(LEBANON, Ill., Feb. 8) — The McKendree University men's volleyball team returns home after a four game road trip to host a pair of Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matches starting Thursday at 7 p.m. against No. 10 University of Loyola-Chicago before wrapping up the weekend Saturday at 7 p.m. against No. 6 Lewis University.
The Bearcats enter the weekend with a record of 5-8 and are 1-2 in the MIVA this season.
McKendree is paced offensively by senior opposite
Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) who ranks fifth in the league with 3.41 kills per set to go with 1.05 digs per set and 20 blocks. Junior outside hitter
Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) is second on the team in kills at 2.90 along with 1.37 digs. Junior middle blocker
Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) rounds out the top three attackers for McKendree at 2.09 kills per set while leading the nation with a .553 attack percentage to pair with 28 blocks.
Sophomore setter
Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) is third in the league and tied for tenth in the nation with an average of 10.38 per set to go with 1.62 digs and 19 blocks. Junior outside hitter
Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) adds 2.34 kills and 1.09 digs per set while senior middle blocker
Michael Polizzi (St. Louis, MO/DeSmet Jesuit) has contributed 1.09 kills and owns a team high 32 blocks. Freshman libero
Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) is second in the MIVA averaging 2.44 digs from the back row that ranks 12
th in the country to aid the Bearcats defensively.
ABOUT LOYOLA-CHICAGO
The Ramblers hold a record of 6-3 overall and are 2-0 in the MIVA this season riding a three match win streak heading into Thursday. Loyola is led by junior middle blocker Jeff Jendryk who averages 2.26 kills per set and comes in second in the nation behind Patterson in attack percentage with a .523 clip. Sophomore middle blocker Paul Narup adds 2.00 kills per set and sits fourth nationally, hitting .475 from the field. Narup also leads the Ramblers in total blocks with 37 for an average of 1.06 per set. Freshman setter Ian Cowan is 15
th in the nation in assists per set at 9.90 to go with 1.35 digs and 11 total blocks. Loyola swept the season series from McKendree in 2016 and is 2-1 against common opponents of the Bearcats this season, while McKendree is 1-2 in those matches.
ABOUT LEWIS UNIVERSITY
The Flyers enter the week with a record of 8-2, including a 2-0 mark in league play after sweeping a pair of matches last week from Lindenwood University and Quincy University. The Flyers are led by sophomore opposite Mitch Perinar who is third in the MIVA in kills per set at 3.80 to go with 1.03 digs and 31 total blocks. Freshman outside hitter Ryan Coenen is second on the squad with 3.14 kills per set to pair with 25 blocks. Senior middle blocker Jacob Schmiegelt has added 2.56 kills per set and leads the Flyers in attack percentage at .461 and blocks with 45. Sophomore setter Matt Yoshimoto is tied for third in the MIVA with Fiduccia at 10.38 assists per set to go 1.29 digs per set. Sophomore outside hitter Michael Simmons has posted a team high 2.33 digs per set, which ranks fourth in the MIVA this season. Lewis is 2-1 against common opponents of McKendree this season with the Bearcats holding a 1-2 showing in those matches. The Flyers topped McKendree with a pair of 3-1 decisions in each meeting last season.
