INDIANAPOLIS, Ind. – The McKendree University volleyball team closed out the road portion of its 2021 schedule here Tuesday evening as the Bearcats fell in four sets to the University of Indianapolis (16-25, 33-31, 18-25, 18-25) in Great Lakes Valley Conference action at Ruth Lilly Fitness Center.
 
With the setback, McKendree drops its record to 8-18 overall and 4-11 in the league, while UIndy improves to 14-15 overall and 10-7 in the league. In addition, the Bearcats went 5-15 away from home this season.
 
Leading the way offensively for the Bearcats was sophomore outside hitter Brianna Binder (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge), who tallied 17 kills and added 16 digs for her ninth double-double of the season, while junior outside hitter Maddie Misner (Makanda, Ill./Carbondale) added 15 kills and a career-high 23 digs for her sixth double-double of the year.
 
For the match, McKendree recorded 87 digs as five Bearcats posted double-digit digs as along with Misner's 23 digs, freshman libero Keely Davis (Terre Haute, Ind./Terre Haute North Vigo) added a career-high 21 digs and it marked the first time this season that McKendree had two players record 20 or more digs in a match.
 
The other Bearcats that recorded double-digit digs against the Greyhounds were outside/opposite side hitter Colleen Preusser (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran) and freshman setter Catie Shane (Evansville, Ind./Francis J. Reitz), who had 12 and 10 digs respectively.
 
Shane also tallied a double-double in the match as along with her 10 digs, she had a career-high 40 assists.
 
For the match, McKendree hit .139 with 49 kills, while UIndy hit .222 with 63 kills.
 
Both teams each had six aces in the match, including Preusser recording two of McKendree's six aces.
 
UIndy was led offensively by a 21 kill performance from Grace Hegwood. Elizabeth Eads added 13 kills and hit .312, while Makenna Barnhart tallied a match-high 30 digs and Alex Equihua had 50 assists and 18 digs.
 
The Bearcats will close out the 2021 season this coming weekend as they host 20th-ranked Lewis University on Friday, Nov. 12 at 7 p.m. and Illinois-Springfield on Saturday, Nov. 13 at 3 p.m. Prior to Saturday's game, the Bearcats will honor its lone senior, outside hitter McKenna Ross (Anthem, Ariz./Boulder Creek) in a prematch ceremony.
 
Set 1
UIndy jumped out to an 8-2 lead in the opening set and led 9-3 when the Bearcats used a 4-0 run capped by a block assist from Shane and junior middle blocker Sarah Porter (Gifford, Ill./Millikin) to pull within 9-7. The 'Hounds responded with an 11-5 run to push in front 20-12. Kills by Binder, Misner and Preusser brought the Bearcats within 21-16. UIndy would come right back and score the final four points of the set to post a 25-16 win. In the set, McKendree hit .091 and had seven kills, while UIndy hit .250 and tallied 16 kills.
 
Set 2
The second set might have been the set of the season for the Bearcats as it featured 22 ties and 11 lead changes as both teams combined for 37 kills and 53 digs, including 30 digs by the Bearcats. McK hit .236 and UIndy hit .136 in the set.
 
In the set, neither team led by more than five points in the entire set as after UIndy took an early 9-5 lead and led 12-7 when the Bearcats used a 9-3 run capped by a kill from Misner to take a 16-15 lead. From that point, the teams would trade points until McK used a 3-1 run to turn a 21-all tie into a 24-22 lead. UIndy would answer back by scoring two straight points to tie the set at 24. The two teams would then take turns trading points until a service error by UIndy's Madi Rosenberger and an ace by Preusser helped cap the Bearcats 33-31 set win.
 
Set 3
UIndy scored the first four points of the set and led 12-3 in the third set when the Bearcats responded with a 10-1 run to drop UIndy's lead to 13-10. After the 'Hounds scored three of the next four points to push its lead to 16-11 before McK responded with a 4-0 flurry to pull within 16-15. McKendree would eventually tie the set at 17-all, before UIndy closed the set on an 8-1 run to post a 25-18 win and take a 2-1 lead in the match. In the set, UIndy hit .278 with 16 kills, while McKendree hit -.026 with eight kills.
 
Set 4
Much like the third set, the fourth set belonged to the Greyhounds as thye hit .260 and had 15 kills, while McKendree hit .196 with 13 kills. UIndy scored the first two points of the set and led 11-7 when the Bearcats used a 5-4 run to pull within 15-12 following back-to-back kills from Porter and Misner. The 'Hounds answered back with a 7-2 run to take a 22-14 lead, before two kills by Misner brought the Bearcats within 23-16. The two teams each score two points each to close the set and post the 25-18 set win to seal its match win.