The No.6 McKendree University men's volleyball team had its eight-game winning streak broke by No.5 Lewis University Friday night. The Bearcats move to 8-1 (7-1 in MIVA) after being defeated in three sets to the Flyers (25-18, 25-22, 25-22).

The second meeting between the MIVA rivals was going to be an intense match to watch. The first set went back-and-forth scoring until about the midway point, where Lewis started to pull ahead. The Bearcats fought for every point to chip away at the deficit, but the Flyers would take the final five points for the first set, 25-18.

A huge momentum shift worked in the favor for the Bearcats coming out in the second set, improving in their blocking and attacks with help from the defense. The Bearcats started out on top, but the Flyers were not too far behind. Lewis scored three of the final five points for the 25-22 set win.

Back-and-forth scoring opened up the third set. The Bearcats kept up the pressure at the net, limiting the Flyers to their lowest attack percentage of the match. In the final seven points of the set, the Flyers capitalized on unforced errors for the 25-22 set win, and the match 3-0.

No.6 McKendree finished the night with a .188 hitting percentage with 30 kills, and led in blocks 9-5.  Zach Schnittker (Arlington Heights, IL/Buffalo Grove) and Patrick Ross (Anthem, AZ/Boulder Creek) led the way for the Bearcats with seven kills apiece. Schnittker also led the defense with seven digs, while Ross added four digs. Lucas Galifos (Mokena,IL/Lincoln Way East) led both teams with six blocks. Ryan Serrano (Phoenix, AZ/Boulder Creek) added four blocks and 24 assists in the match.

Nickie Sanlin and her team will begin a four-game road series, starting at the University of Loyola-Chicago. The Bearcats will face the Ramblers on Thursday, Mar. 18 at 5:00 PM in the Alfie Norville Practice Facility.