(Lebanon, Ill., Feb. 16) -- Four different Bearcats recorded double digit kills tonight, as the McKendree University men's volleyball team defeated the University of California San Diego Tritons in a four-set thriller. With the victory, the Bearcats improve to 5-6 overall, and 2-2 at home, while the Tritons dropped their fourth match in a row, and fall to 7-6 on the season.

Freshman Patrick Ross led the Bearcats in kills, with 15, and digs, with 14, while red-shirt senior Brendan Schmidt (O'Fallon, MO/Fort Zumwalt West) hit .632 with 13 kills. Jared Wilcox and Wyatt Dimke combined for 22 kills, ten digs, and 11 total blocks, with Dimke hitting .500. Senior setter Pasquale Fiduccia contributed 52 assists and 9 digs in the winning effort.

The Bearcats gave up two four-point leads in the first set, before gutting it out 34-32, in what was the second longest set of their season so far. McKendree never trailed the entire second set, earning a 2-0 advantage on the Tritons.

After trailing 16-11 in the third set, the Bearcats outscored UCSD 11-6 to tie the score at 22 all, however the Tritons would respond, taking three of the final four points to get on the board. McKendree came out hot in the fourth, earning a 10-5 lead, but Tritons fought their way back into the set, evening the score at 19 a-piece. The Bearcats then went on a 6-3 run to finish the match, with a Pasquale Fiduccia kill sealing the win.

The Bearcats are back in action at home this Monday, February 19^th, as the will take on the Quincy University Hawks in a Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association match-up, with first serve scheduled for 7 pm.