(Irvine, Calif., Sept. 1) -- The McKendree women's volleyball team took to the court Friday for the first time in 2017, opening its season at the Concordia University Labor Day Invitational in Irvine, CA. The Bearcats were defeated twice in the round-robin event, falling to California Baptist University before being swept by Winona State University.
In the first match of the day, McKendree faced California Baptist, which received votes in the American Volleyball Coaches Association (AVCA) Division II pre-season poll. The Lancers hit .337 in the match on its way to victory over the Bearcats by scores of 25-11, 25-15.
After California Baptist won the opening set, McKendree looked to even things in the second set. A kill from senior
Arela Williams (San Diego, CA/LaJolla Country Day) and a service ace from sophomore
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei) allowed the Bearcats to pull within 10-7. The Lancers answered with a 6-1 run to stretch its margin to 16-8 and held the Bearcats at bay for a two-set lead, then closed out the match with a 10-point victory in the third set.
Senior
Amanda Geiger (Tomball, TX/Concordia Lutheran) showed the way offensively for the Bearcats, putting down 10 kills, while Williams added six attacks. Senior
Carissa Lorenz (New Lenox, IL/Lincoln-Way West) collected a team-high six blocks (including a pair of solos), while junior setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) led the way in digs with eight. Melchert also contributed all 20 assists in the match for McKendree.
In its final match of the day, McKendree battled No. 5-ranked Winona State. The Bearcats went toe-to-toe with the Warriors, but Winona State pulled way to take the best-of-five contest by scores of 25-17, 25-22 and 25-22.
After dropping the first set, McKendree fought back in the second, using a kill from Geiger to grab an 8-7 lead. The teams continued to trade points throughout the set before Winona State reeled off three consecutive points to build a 21-18 advantage. The Bearcats took advantage of a Warriors' attack error and sandwiched that around a kill from Geiger to pull within 22-20. However, Winona State was able to hold on down the stretch to notch the three-point victory for a 2-0 lead in the match.
Winona State looked to pull away early in the third set, but McKendree scored three straight points to tie the set at 10-10. The Bearcats forged their final lead of the match 13-12 lead following a block by Williams and Lorenz. The Warriors then scored five of the next six points to grab the lead for good.
The Bearcats' offense was led this time by Williams, who reached double-digits in kills with 13, while Geiger chipped in with 10 attacks and Lorenz added eight kills. Voss went to work on defense with a match-high 16 digs as Geiger and Williams had 10 each. Melchert handed out 31 assists to lead all players on the floor.
McKendree is back in action on Saturday with another double-header, as they look to rebound from a tough start to the season. They will take on California State Stanislaus at 4:30 CT and finish up their time in Irvine against the tournament host, Concordia University (CA) at 9:30 CT. Live video and stats for both matches can be accessed by going to portal.stretchinternet.com/cui/.
