LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University women's volleyball continues its season on the road this upcoming weekend, beginning with the 14th-ranked Lewis Flyers on Friday, September 24th, and Saturday, September 25 at Illinois Springfield. 

This weekend's road journey for the Bearcats starts on Friday (9/24) with a matchup against the nationally-ranked (AVCA) Lewis Flyers. McKendree will look to end a five-match losing streak against the Flyers, which dates back to 2016. The Bearcats enter the match at 3-6 (1-0) this year, most recently beating Drury in five sets in Springfield, Missouri.

McKendree's offense has been led by senior middle blocker Hope Gramly through the first nine matches of the year with 3.77 points per set while sophomore outside hitters Colleen Preusser and Brianna Binder average 3.03 and 2.85 points per set to follow Gramly. Gramly is sending 3.03 kills (ninth in GLVC) through opposing defenses and thwarting 1.18 opposing attacks (third in GLVC) each set. Binder is second on the Bearcats in kills with 2.52 per set and 83 total kills in the nine-match season and Preusser is just behind her fellow outside hitter with 2.42 per set and 80 total kills through 33 sets played. Preusser has also been an asset on service as well with 14 aces through the first nine matches, ranking ninth in the league. The offense is under the coordination of junior settter Macy Tongate, who has amassed 290 assists in nine contests (8.79 per set - seventh in GLVC).

Defensively for McKendree, the sophomore outside hitter duo of Preusser and Binder leads the team with 2.88 (95 total) and 2.64 (87 total) digs per set. Senior libero Skyler Siber and junior outside hitter Maddie Misner narrowly trail the sophomore duo; Sieber has laid out for 78 digs while Misner owns 75 this season. Tongate also has collected 69 digs, which rounds out the five Bearcats who average more than 2.00 digs per set. Gramly leads the way in blocks with 39.0 total and Tongate comes second on the team with 21.0.

Lewis:
The Flyers enter the match as the top-ranked Great Lakes Valley Conference program at 14th in the nation at 7-3, most recently beating Quincy and William Jewell. Lewis opened its year at the Flagler Invitational, going 4-0 to open the year. The next tournament for the Flyers was the Colorado Premier Challenge where they took on three top-25 teams, beating then-no. 9 Western Washington as their only win in the tournament. Lewis owns the all-time advantage over the Bearcats, 11-2, and has won the last five outings.

Lewis' offense is led by senior middle hitter Ava Venema and sophomore outside hitter Natalie Stefanski through the first ten matches. Venema owns 131.0 points (3.97 points per set) behind 115 kills (3.48 kills per set - fifth in GLVC) while Stefanski owns 3.22 points per set (116.0 total) and 2.72 kills per set (98 total). The Flyer offense runs through the sophomore setter Stenman (326 assists), who owns 9.31 assists per set. The Flyers have three individuals with 10-plus service aces as well. Defense is also a major aspect of the Flyers' game with Bella Ray and Venema leading with 29.0 and 24.0 blocks so far. Jamie Poppen leads the dig effort with 198 (5.66 per set - second in GLVC) while Stefanski owns 101 and Megan Schlechte has 110 in the season. 

Illinois Springfield:
UIS enters the weekend at 2-8 with a five-match losing streak and last beat Lake Erie in the Capital City Classic. The Prairie Stars opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play against UMSL and Rockhurst on September 16 and 18 but failed to break the losing streak carried from non-conference play. The Bearcats won the last meeting between the two in April of 2021, sweeping the Prairie Stars. McKendree owns a 13-9 advantage over UIS since 2007 and 6-4 over the last ten matches.

Senior outside hitter Hannah Nicolaisen leads the offensive efforts with 107.5 points (2.91 per set) for UIS while senior middle blocker Brianna Bush sits just behind with 106.0 total points (2.86 per set). Nicolaisen recorded 88 kills over the first 10 matches for UIS and averages 2.38 kills per set. Bush has 81 over the 37 sets played with an average of 2.19. On defense, freshman defensive specialist Amanda McConnell leads in digs with 165 in ten matches, ranking third in the GLVC at 4.46 digs per set. Bush has headed up the blocking-efforts with 42.0 (1.14 per set) to rank fifth in the league and Nicolaisen has collected 31.0 blocks so far. 

NOTES:
McKendree looks to snap a five-match losing streak against the Flyers, last defeating Lewis in 2016. The Bearcats will push to begin a streak against the Prairie Stars in the matchup after they beat UIS last season.

Senior middle blocker Hope Gramly (Prosper, Texas) leads the Bearcat offense with 3.77 points per set and 3.03 kills per set (ninth in GLVC). She also has held the line at the net with 39.0 total blocks on the season, ranking third in the league at 1.18 blocks per set.

Sophomore outside hitter duo of Colleen Preusser (St. Charles, Missouri) and Brianna Binder (Littleton, Colorado) has been influential offensively this season as Preusser owns 3.03 points per set and Binder records 2.85 per set. Both of the sophomores average more than 2.40 kills per set. Preusser ranks eighth in the GLVC in service aces as well and has aced 14 serves on the year.

Preusser and Binder lead the dig effort for the Bearcats and have combined for 182 on the year. Preusser recorded 95 (2.88 per set) and Binder laid out for 87 (2.64 per set) through the nine matches. 

Junior setter Macy Tongate ranks seventh in the conference through nine matches for assists with 290 and 8.79 assists per set. Her career-high came against Tiffin on 9/4/21 when she had 49.


WEEKEND MATCHES:
Friday, September 24 | 7 P.M. | @ Lewis | Romeville, Illinois - Neil Carey Arena
Saturday, September 25 | 3 P.M. | @ UIS | Springfield, Illinois - TRAC
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