Tournament Website
(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 10) – The McKendree University women's volleyball team will travel to Indianapolis, Ind., this weekend to face teams from the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (GLIAC) and the Great Midwest Athletic Conference (GMAC) in the 11
th annual Midwest Region Volleyball Crossover.
The Bearcats will start the weekend off against Davenport University from the GLIAC at 11:30 a.m. ET on Friday. They will have a short break before they take on Ashland University, also from the GLIAC, at 5:30 p.m. ET. The final match for McKendree will be against Malone University from the GMAC on Saturday at 1 p.m. ET.
McKendree is 10-9 overall on the season heading into this tournament and 6-4 in Great Lakes Valley Cofnerence (GLVC) play. The Bearcats are 4-4 in neutral sites from tournaments they attended to open up their season earlier this year.
Offensive leaders for the Bearcats are freshman middle blocker
Hope Gramly (Prosper, TX/Prosper), junior outside hitter
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei), sophomore outside hitter
Elle Russell (Festus, MO/St. Pius X), and junior middle blocker
Megan Marks (Colgate, WI/Germantown). Gramly leads the pack with 223 recorded kills on the season. Voss is close behind with 210 kills recorded, Russell is next with 174, and Marks has 132. Senior setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) sets up the offensive efforts for McKendree and has 703 total assists on the season.
Defensive leaders for the Bearcats are junior libero
Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West), Voss, Russell, and Melchert. Zeitelhack leads the efforts with 219 digs on the season, Voss and Russell are both next with 201, and Melchert is close behind with 172 recorded digs. At the net defensively for McKendree is Marks and Gramly. Marks is a force to be reckoned with as she has 73 total blocks but Gramly isn't far behind with 63.
McKendree will return to GLVC action the following weekend on Oct. 19 against Quincy University in Quincy, Ill., at 7 p.m. The Bearcats will then travel to Kirksville, Mo., the following day to take on Truman State University at 3 p.m.
About Davenport University:
Davenport currently sits as the number six seed in the GLIAC with an 11-9 overall record and 6-5 in conference competition. On the attack for the Panthers this season are middle blocker Ashley VanderHorst, outside hitter Hayley Kreiger, and right side Jenn Kay Vander Meer. VanderHorst has 180 recorded kills, Kreiger has 176, and Vander Meer has 169. Defensive efforts are led by defensive specialist Kasey Stehouwer who has 324 recorded digs. Vander Meer is next with 201 and setter Sami White and defensive specialist Jenna Asper prove to be valuable for the Panther defense, each with 132 digs. At the net for Davenport's defense is VenderHorst who has 87 total blocks and middle blocker Jessica Marvin who has 71.
About Ashland University:
Ashland is ranked third in the GLIAC, entering the tournament with a 16-4 overall record and 9-2 in conference play. Offensive efforts are led by outside hitter Shelby Woycik, outside hitter Erin Krupar, and middle blocker Sophi Cudworth. Woycik has 258 total kills, Krupar has 229, and Cudworth has 207 recorded so far this season. Defensive efforts for the Eagles are led by libero Kaitlin Bean who has 351 digs recorded, Krupar is next with 241, and Woycik rounds out the efforts with 211. At the net for Ashland's defense is middle blocker Reanne Neal with 81 total blocks and middle hitter Michaela Ping who has 79 total blocks on the season.
About Malone University:
Malone currently sits in the fifth spot in the GMAC with an overall record of 13-8 and a 9-3 conference record. Middle hitter Mallory Adams, middle hitter Hannah Eliason, and outside hitter Veronica Gehring lead the offensive efforts for the Pioneers. Adams has acquired 231 kills thus far, Eliason has 222, and Gehring has 197. Defensive efforts for Malone are led by defensive specialist Maggie Hamrock who has 340 total digs, outside hitter Faith Lau who has 218, and defensive specialist Abby Hasebein who has 185. At the net defensively for the Pioneers are Adams and Eliason. Adams has obtained 86 total blocks and Eliason is close behind with 81.
