GAME DAY LINKS
STATS
WATCH
(LEBANON, Ill., Mar. 9) – The McKendree University men's volleyball team returns to conference play this weekend with a pair of Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association matches against Grand Canyon University beginning Friday at 7 p.m. inside the Harry M. Statham Sports Center, before squaring off again Saturday evening with first serve set for 7 p.m.
The Bearcats enter the weekend with a record of 7-12 overall and are 2-4 in league play.
McKendree is led by senior opposite
Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) averages a team high 3.41 kills per set. Walker has also tabbed 1.10 digs per set and 24 blocks for the Bearcats. Junior outside hitter
Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) is second on the team in kills at 2.98 along with 1.38 digs. Junior middle blocker
Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) rounds out the top three attackers for McKendree at 2.11 kills per set while leading the nation in hitting percentage at .546 to pair with 38 blocks.
Junior setter
Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) leads the Bearcats in assists with an average of 10.34 per set that ranks tenth nationally to go with 1.60 digs and 27 blocks. Senior opposite
Andrew Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) and sophomore outside hitter
Will Frank (Moro, IL/Edwardsville) add 2.62 and 1.07 kills respectively, while junior middle blocker
Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) has contributed 1.89 kills, and a team high .95 blocks per set. Sophomore libero
Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) has a team high 2.23 digs from the back row to aid the Bearcats defensively.
ABOUT GRAND CANYON UNIVERSITY
The Antelopes hold a record of 10-8 overall and are 6-4 in the MIVA this season. Junior outside hitter Shalev Saada paces Grand Canyon averaging 2.59 kills per set to go with 1.25 digs and .53 blocks. Senior opposite Mathew Kinnebrew is second on the team with 2.52 kills per set along with 1.16 digs and .68 blocks. Junior outside hitters Cody Williams and Luke Turner each average over two kills per set at 2.23 and 2.00 respectively to round out the top scorers for the Antelopes.
Senior setter Michael Milstein has dished out 9.29 assists per set to pair with 1.23 digs. Senior middle blocker Drake Silbernagel leads Grand Canyon in attack percentage at .397 to pair with 1.00 blocks per set, while junior libero Sky Engleman has put up 2.19 digs per set to anchor the Antelopes defense.
McKendree split the season series with Grand Canyon a season ago and holds a 1-4 record against the Antelopes overall. The Bearcats are 3-3 against common opponents of Grand Canyon this season, while the Antelopes are 7-4 in those matches.
