(St. Charles, MO, Jan. 18) – The McKendree University Bearcats opened Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association play in convincing fashion, sweeping the Lindenwood University Lions on the road on Thursday evening. With the victory, the Bearcats improve to 3-4 on the season, and have now won three matches in a row, after dropping their first four of 2018.

Reigning MIVA Offensive Player of the Week, Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West), led the Bearcats with nine kills and six total blocks, while hitting a blistering .538. Freshman Aaron Plaisted and junior Zach Thompson both recorded a team high six digs each. Freshman outside hitter Patrick Ross collected five digs and seven kills, and hit over .300 in the winning effort.

McKendree trailed for the majority of the first set, before using six straight points to take its first lead of the match. The Lions took a time-out following the streak, but couldn't recover, as the Bearcats cruised from that point on, taking the opening set 25-19.

Finding themselves trailing by one point early in the second, the Bearcats went on an 8-1 scoring run to take a convincing 16-10 advantage. Lindenwood then scored three points in a row to cut the deficit in half, and eventually tied the set at 21 a-piece. McKendree responded, however, earning four of the last five points, to take a commanding two set lead over the Lions.

The Bearcats would go on cruise control in the third, scoring the first six points of the set, and never looking back. Patrick Ross put away a kill to seal the sweep, as McKendree won the third set by a final score of 25-17.

The Bearcats now have two weeks off, as they will play their first home match of 2018 on February 3^rd against a former MIVA opponent in the Grand Canyon University Antelopes. The match will begin at 7 pm from the Harry M. Statham Sports Center, and be available for live stream on the GLVC Sports Network.