(LEBANON, Ill., Sept. 20) – The McKendree University women's volleyball team will entertain Maryville University Friday night at 7 p.m. and then University of Missouri-St. Louis Saturday afternoon at 3 p.m. at home in the Harry Statham Sports Center.
The Bearcats are coming off a weekend road trip where they swept William Jewell College 3-0 last Friday then fell to no. 11 Rockhurst University 3-0 the next day. McKendree is 6-7 on the season and 2-2 in Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) play.
Leading attackers for the Bearcats are freshman middle blocker
Hope Gramly (Prosper, TX/Prosper), junior outside hitter
Kelly Voss (St. Rose, IL/Mater Dei), and sophomore outside hitter
Elle Russell (Festus, MO/St. Pius X). Gramly leads with 161 kills on the season, Voss is next with 154, and Russell is close behind with 146. Senior setter
Morgan Melchert (Mt. Vernon, IA/Mt. Vernon) has acquired 529 assists on the season and continues to extend her hold on the school assist record.
Junior middle blocker
Megan Marks (Colgate, WI/Germantown) leads the defensive efforts at the net with 47 total blocks on the season. Gramly leads in block solos with eight and is right behind Marks with 46 total blocks. The back line is held together by junior libero
Alissa Zeitelhack (Overland Park, KS/Blue Valley West), Voss, Russel, and Melchert. Zeitelhack has 146 digs on the season, Voss has 158, Russell has 144, and Melchert has 126.
McKendree will continue competition at home the following weekend with a Friday Sept. 28 match against no. 14 Drury University at 7 p.m. and then a match versus Missouri S&T the following day at 3 p.m.
About Maryville University:
The Saints are 4-9 overall on the season and 0-5 in GLVC play. The lead attackers for Maryville are outside hitter Cassidy Arndt with 94 kills and outside hitter Liz Eardly with 64. Leading defensive efforts at the net is outside hitter Kayla Nystedt with 26 blocks. The back line is run by libero A.J. Halleman's 162 digs and Arndt's 106.
About University of Missouri-St. Louis:
The Tritons are 7-6 overall on the season and 3-2 in GLVC competition. Offensive efforts are led by outside hitter Selena Nolte who has 167 kills, opposite Kylie Rudsinksi who has 143, and outside hitter Maddy Russell who has 100. UMSL's lead blockers on the season are Rudsinski and middle blocker Alex Miner. Rudsinki has three solo blocks and 28 total blocks on the season while Miner has two block solos and 25 total blocks. Defensive efforts are controlled by libero Megan Woll's 256 digs and defensive specialist Alivia Brinker's 114.
