The No.13 McKendree University men's volleyball team hosted the first round of the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association (MIVA) tournament, where they battled rival Purdue Fort Wayne. The Bearcats advanced to the second round after taking down the mastodons in five sets (27-25, 21-25, 29-27, 25-27, 15-13).

The Mastodons came out hot to start the game, holding their lead right down to the wire. The Bearcats were able to fight their way back and tie the set at 24 off a kill on the outside from Ethan Carroll. Back-to-back errors by the visitors put the Bearcats on top 27-25.

The two rivals exchanged two-point runs to open up the second set, but the visitors started to pull ahead near the middle. The Mastodons' lead was hard to break, and they would hold out for the remainder of the set. The Mastodons took the second set 25-21, and tie match 1-1.

The Mastodons held their own when it came to blocking in the third set, but a late-set energy surge worked in favor for the Bearcats.  A kill by Wyatt Dimke in the middle would tie things at 27 and force the Mastodons to take a timeout. A double block by Zach Schnittker and Lucas Galifos, followed by a single block from Galifos finished the set 29-27.

McKendree found a rhythm in the fourth set with their hitters nailing shots and their defense keeping long rallies alive. Down by three, the Mastodon's called a timeout, and answered back with a four-point run to take the lead. A kill from the outside followed by a block on the right side game the Mastodons the 27-25 set win.

Both teams used every ounce of momentum to push through the final 15 points. The Bearcats defense picked up off-speed balls, setting up multiple chances to switch up their offense. A double block from Wyatt Dimke and Schnittker closed out the set 15-13, and the game 3-2.

The Bearcats recorded 61 kills on the night with a .270 hitting percentage. Patrick Ross led his team with 18 kills, matching his career-high. Zach Schnittker followed with 14 kills, two service aces, six blocks, and a career-hgih 14 digs. Lucas Galifos led both teams with nine blocks, while Francisco Comas led the defense with a season-high 21 digs. Ryan Serrano set a career-high 56 assists.

Nickie Sanlin and her team will travel to Chicago, Ill., to face No.11 Loyola on Saturday, Apr. 17 for the MIVA Semifinals.