(ROMEOVILLE, Ill., Feb. 7) – The Mckendree University men's volleyball team opened the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) season with a bang, defeating conference frontrunner No. 6 Lewis on the road, 3-2. The Bearcats improve to 7-4 overall on the season and 1-0 in MIVA competition, marking their best start to a season in program history.

The victory also sets a new program best, as Lewis' sixth place national ranking is the highest ranked team McKendree has ever defeated. Last season, the Bearcats took down Brigham Young University, who at the time sat in eighth place in the national rankings, 3-1.

As a team, McKendree recorded a 33.9 hitting percentage, while Lewis only hit 25.4 percent in the five set match. The Bearcats set the match pace in the first set, hitting 42.3 percent, with 14 kills on 26 attempts with just three errors.

This strong hitting percentage helped push McKendree to a 25-19 in the first set to open the match on top. The Flyers took the second set 25-22 to even play at one set apiece. The Bearcats answered back with a 25-22 win of their own in the third set and then Lewis took the fourth set 25-21 to force a fifth set. McKendree got an early lead on the Flyers in the final set that carried it to a 15-9 win in the fifth set and a 3-2 victory in the match to complete the upset.

Junior outside hitters Patrick Ross (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek) and Ethan Carroll (Barrington, IL/Barrington) tallied double-digit kills for the Bearcats in the victory, Ross with 14 and Carroll with 13. Both senior middle blocker Lucas Galifos (Mokena,IL/Lincoln Way East) and junior middle blocker Wyatt Dimke (Ham Lake, MN/Blaine) hit above .500 with zero errors for McKendree. Galifos earned nine kills on 11 attempts with zero errors, hitting 81.8 percent while Dimke recorded six kills on nine attempts with no errors, hitting 66.7 percent in the match.

The back line was controlled by senior opposite Zach Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) as the lone Bearcat to earn double-digit digs with 12 total in the match. Ross, Carroll, and sophomore Francisco Comas (Naperville, IL/Neuqua Valley High School) were also essential defensive players for McKendree, each tallying eight digs on the night. Galifos led the blocking efforts for the Bearcats with four block assists. Schnittker, Dimke, and sophomore setter Ryan Serrano (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek) were also strong at the net for the defense, each with three block assists.

McKendree will resume MIVA competition Thursday, Feb. 13 with a match at Ball State University. First serve is set for 7 p.m. ET.