(LEBANON, Ill., Apr. 14) – The McKendree University men's volleyball is set to take on Grand Canyon University in the first round of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association Tournament Saturday evening at 8 p.m. in Phoenix, AZ.
The Bearcats enter the MIVA Tournament as the No. 6 seed after posting an overall record of 11-18 including a 6-10 mark in league play.
Senior opposite
Maalik Walker (Shorewood, IL/Minooka) led McKendree in kills this season, averaging 3.43 per set, which ranked fourth in the league. Junior outside hitter
Nolan Rueter (Burlington, WI/Burlington) ranked second in kills at 2.87 per set to go with 1.32 digs per set. Senior middle blocker
Wyatt Patterson (Flossmoor, IL/Homewood-Flossmoor) rounded out the top three scorers at 1.89 kills per set, while leading the nation in attack percentage at .497.
Junior setter
Pasquale Fiduccia (Hanover Park, IL/Glenbard North) sits third in the MIVA in assists per set at 10.04 to pair with 1.72 digs per set. Junior middle blocker
Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) has put down 1.54 kills per set this season and paces the Bearcats with 1.21 blocks per set. Senior opposite
Andrew Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) tallied 2.50 kills per set, while junior outside hitter
Jared Wilcox (Warrenville, IL/Wheaton-Warrenville South) and sophomore outside hitter
Will Frank (Moro, IL/Edwardsville) have added 1.71 and 1.55 kills per set respectively. Sophomore libero
Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell) has stuck 2.12 digs per set from the back row for McKendree, which ranks third in the conference.
ABOUT GRAND CANYON
The No. 14 Antelopes posted a regular season record of 17-10 and their 11-5 conference mark earned the No. 3 seed in the MIVA Tournament. Junior outside hitter Cody Williams led the Antelopes with 2.64 kills per set this season. Junior outside hitter Shalev Saada finished second in kills per set at 2.53 to go with 1.34 digs. Senior opposite Mathew Kinnebrew and junior outside hitter Cullen Mosher have added 2.43 and 2.36 kills per set. Junior middle blocker Ashton King has put down a team high 1.07 blocks per set, while senior setter Michael Milstein paces Grand Canyon with 9.69 assists per set. Junior libero Sky Enlgeman adds 2.03 digs per set from the back row for the Antelopes.
McKendree is just 1-6 all-time versus Grand Canyon, as the Antelopes earned a pair of 3-1 victories over the Bearcats in two regular season meetings. Frank and Schnittker paced McKendree in the first meeting with 13 and 12 kills each, while Walker led four Bearcats in double figures with 16 kills in the second contest. Frank put down 12 attacks in the second match with Rueter and Schmidt adding 11 and 10 respectively. Thompson put up 17 digs between the two matches and Fiduccia tallied 90 assists.
