(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 1) – The McKendree University women's volleyball team will face the University of Missouri-St. Louis on Tuesday Oct. 2 at 7 p.m. in St. Louis, Mo.
The Bearcats are coming off a split weekend where they fell to Drury University 3-0 on Friday then defeated Missouri S&T Saturday, 3-1. McKendree is 9-8 overall on the season and 5-3 in the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC). In their last matchup against the Tritons on Sept. 22 the Bearcats won in five sets, 3-2.
Freshman middle blocker
Hope Gramly (Prosper, TX/Prosper) leads the Bearcats' offense with 212 kills on the season. Junior outside hitter
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei) is next for McKendree with 196 kills and sophomore outside hitter
Elle Russell (Festus, MO/St. Pius X) is close behind with 173. Senior setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) continues to grow her total assist number and program record with 664 assists on the season.
Defensively for the Bearcats at the net is junior middle blocker
Megan Marks (Colgate, WI/Germantown) with 67 total blocks thus far. Gramly also protects the net for McKendree with 54 total blocks recorded. The back line is led by junior libero
Alissa Zeitelhack's (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West) 204 digs. Voss and Russell are also key players for the Bearcats defense, Voss with 193 kills and Russell with 183. Freshman defensive specialist
Annika Beal (Belleville, IL/Althoff Catholic) and Melchert have noteable defensive efforts on the season, Melchert with 162 digs and Beal with 149.
McKendree will return home to face the University of Illinois Springfield on Saturday Oct. 6 at 5 p.m. for its Dig Pink match in the Harry Statham Sports Center.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-ST. LOUIS:
The Tritons are 7-10 overall on the season and 3-6 in GLVC play. They are currently sitting 10
th in the GLVC rankings. On the attack for UMSL is outside hitter Selena Nolte with 215 kills on the season, opposite Kylie Rudsinski with 183, and outside hitter Maddy Russell with 124. Defensive leaders for the Tritons are libero Megan Woll who has 362 digs thus far, defensive specialist Alivia Brinker with 162, and Russell with 141. Blocking leaders are middle blocker Alex Miner and Rudsinski each with 42 total blocks.
