(LEBANON, Ill., March 10)-- The McKendree University men's volleyball team dropped a four set decision to Grand Canyon University Friday evening inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center. The Bearcats fell by scores of 17-25, 25-23, 25-22, and 27-25.

The loss dips McKendree to 7-13 overall and 2-5 in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The teams will tangle again tomorrow night at 7 p.m.

Sophomore outside hitter Will Frank (Moro, IL/Edwardsville) led the Bearcats with 13 kills on 22 attempts hitting .500 from the field. Frank added a trio of digs and four blocks. Senior opposite Andrew Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) followed with 12 kills and three digs. Junior outside hitter Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) put down seven kills, while senior middle blocker Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) paired six kills with a match high seven blocks.

Junior outside hitter Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) recorded a game high 43 assists, adding nine digs and six blocks. Junior middle blocker Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) tallied six kill and six blocks and sophomore libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) notched six digs from the back row for McKendree.

Schnittker, Schmidt, and Patterson each put down a kill as the Bearcats opened the match with a 6-4 lead. Frank followed with a kill and an ace as the set moved to 12-8 in favor of McKendree. Patterson tallied a kill followed by an ace from Schnittker to push the Bearcats ahead 15-10, forcing a timeout from the Antelopes. Grand Canyon cut the lead to three at 17-14, but the Bearcats followed with three straight points including a kill from Rueter to extend the lead to six. A block from Schmidt and Frank moved the lead to 22-16 as McKendree coasted to an eight-point win in set one.

The Bearcats picked up where they left off in the second set as Schnittker opened with a kill followed by a pair of blocks from Frank and Patterson to put McKendree ahead 5-2. The Antelopes countered with six of the next seven points to take an 8-6 lead before a 4-0 run pushed Grand Canyon ahead 16-11. Back to back blocks from Patterson sparked a 5-2 run for the Bearcats to slash the lead to 19-17. McKendree continued claw back into the set with a 3-0 run, bookended by kills from Schnittker to pull within one point at 23-22, but Grand Canyon was able to escape with two of the final three points to knot the match at 1-1.

Schnittker put down three kills to give McKendree a 9-8 lead in set three. Frank chipped in two more kills, but the Antelopes were able to tie the set at 14. Grand Canyon would jump ahead 23-20 with a 5-2 run, and withstood kills from Fiduccia and Patterson to take a 2-1 lead heading into set four.

The Antelopes continued to score earning a 9-7 lead to start set four before surrendering a 5-0 run to the Bearcats that featured a pair of kills and a block from Schmidt to put the Bearcats on top at 12-9. Frank and Schmidt each put down a pair of kills as the set shifted to 18-17 in favor of McKendree. The Antelopes would use two straight point to capture a 19-18 lead, but the Bearcats used a 3-1 run thanks to a pair of kills from Frank to go ahead 22-21. The teams traded two point runs as a block from Fiduccia forced set point at 24-23, but Grand Canyon scored four of the next five points to clinch the set and the match.