(LEBANON, Ill., Oct. 24) – The McKendree University women's volleyball team will take on the University of Indianapolis on Friday night at 7 p.m. for Alumni Night and then Lewis University on Saturday at 3 p.m. to celebrate Senior Day. The three seniors to be honored are outside hitter
Caitlyn Milligan (Rochester, IL/SWIC), middle blocker
Baily Craig (Aurora, NE/Giltner), and setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon).
The Bearcats are 14-11 overall on the season and 8-5 in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) action. McKendree is coming off a tough 3-2 loss to Bellarmine University that took place this past Tuesday but were able to remain in the sixth place spot in conference standings.
Offensive leaders for the Bearcats are freshman middle blocker
Hope Gramly (Prosper, TX/Prosper), junior outside hitter
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei), and junior middle blocker
Megan Marks (Colgate, WI/Germantown). Gramly leads the pack with 315 total kills on the season, Voss isn't far behind with 299 recorded kills, and Marks is next with 202. Melchert has officially broken 1,000 assists on the season with 1,014 recorded thus far.
Voss, junior libero
Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West), and sophomore outside hitter
Elle Russell (Festus, MO/St. Pius X) lead the Bearcats' defensive efforts. Voss has 303 recorded digs, Zeitelhack has 299, and Russell has 259. Melchert also is a key player for the defense with 244 digs on the season. At the net for McKendree's defense is Marks and Gramly. Marks is just shy of 100 total blocks on the season with 97 recorded. Gramly leads the team in solo blocks with 18 recorded but falls behind Marks in total blocks with 89 so far on the season.
The Bearcats will finish out the regular season on the road next week beginning in St. Louis on Tuesday Oct. 30 to face Maryville University at 7 p.m. They will then travel to Louisville, Ky., to take on Bellarmine University on Nov. 2 at 7 p.m. and finish out their regular season against the University of Southern Indiana on Saturday Nov. 3 at 3 p.m.
ABOUT UNIVERSITY OF INDIANAPOLIS:
The Greyhounds are 16-9 overall on the season and 9-4 in GLVC action. They currently sit in fifth place in conference standings, one above McKendree. Offensive leaders of the University of Indianapolis are outside hitter Katie Furlong who has 310 recorded kills thus far, outside hitter Taylor Jacquay who has 200, and right side Julia Kruzan who has 178. Setter Alyssa Spears has set up Indianapolis a total of 797 times this season. Defensive leaders for the Greyhounds are libero Olivia Martin, Spears, and libero Jena Davis. Martin has 392 digs on the season, Spears has 197, and Davis has 165. At the net for UIndy's defense is middle blocker Emily Ellis with 47 total blocks and middle blocker Katie Voelz with 43.
ABOUT LEWIS UNIVERSITY:
Lewis University is 19-6 overall on the season and 10-3 in GLVC play. The Flyers currently sit in fourth place in conference standings, two above McKendree. Leading the offensive efforts for Lewis are outside hitter Elizabeth Hyland with 323 kills, outside hitter Alexandra Preuss with 263 kills, and middle hitter Caroline Stefanon with 210. Setter Abby Becker has set up the Flyers 938 times so far this season. Defensive efforts are led by libero Ronni Katarzynski with 452 digs, Hyland with 310, and Preuss with 259. At the net for the Flyers' defense is Stefanon with 110 total blocks recorded, Hyland is next with 53, and Preuss follows with 45.
