(LEBANON, Ill., April 2) – The McKendree University men's volleyball team will wrap up its 2019 season with home matches against Ball State University Thursday and No. 13 Purdue Fort Wayne on Saturday. The match against the Cardinals is set to begin at 7 p.m. while Saturday's match against the Mastodons will begin at 4 p.m.

The Bearcats will also be honoring the two seniors, outside hitter Will Frank (Moro, IL/Edwardsville) and libero Zach Thompson (Defiance, MO/Francis Howell), before the match on Saturday for senior day. All volleyball alumni are also welcome and will be recognized on Saturday as well.

 McKendree is currently 11-11 overall on the season and 6-6 in Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) competition. The Bearcats sit in fourth place in the MIVA rankings heading into this weekend.

Offensive leaders for McKendree are junior opposite Zach Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove), sophomore outside hitter Patrick Ross (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek), freshman outside hitter Brendon Dunn (Sherman Oaks, CA/Notre Dame), and sophomore middle blocker Wyatt Dimke (Ham Lake, MN/Blaine). Shnittker leads the Bearcats with 183 kills, Ross is next with 134, Dunn is close behind with 121, and Dimke is one less with 120 kills recorded on the season.

Defensive leaders for the Bearcats are freshman setter Ryan Serrano (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek), Schnittker, and freshman libero Francisco Comas (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley High School). Serrano leads the way with 135 digs, Schnittker follows with 115 total digs, and Comas rounds out the efforts with 109. At the net for McKendree's defense is Dimke, junior middle blocker Lucas Galifos (Mokena,IL/Lincoln Way East), and Serrano. Dimke has tallied 73 total blocks on the season, Galifos is next with 61, and Serrano is close behind with 58 recorded blocks on the season.

McKendree will begin postseason competition on Saturday April 13 with the MIVA quarterfinals. The final postseason bracket will be configured after this weekend's competition.

ABOUT BALL STATE UNIVERSITY:
Ball State University is 14-13 overall on the season and 5-7 in MIVA play. The last matchup between the Cardinals and the Bearcats, McKendree swept Ball State 3-0 in Muncie, Ind. Ball State currently sits in fifth place, right below McKendree, in the MIVA rankings. For more information regarding the Cardinals season statistics, rosters, and any other misc., info, click here.

ABOUT PURDUE FORT WAYNE UNIVERSITY:
Purdue Fort Wayne is currently ranked 13^th nationally in the AVCA Coaches Poll as it is 16-9 overall on the season and 8-4 in MIVA competition. The last time the Bearcats and the Mastodons played each other, McKendree fell in a hard-fought 3-2 match in Fort Wayne, Ind. Purdue Fort Wayne sits one spot above the Bearcats in third place in the MIVA standings. For more information on the Mastodons, click here.