LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University women's volleyball opens Melvin Price Convocation Center with a pair of weekend contests, first hosting Missouri-St. Louis on Friday, October 1 and then Truman State on Saturday, October 2. It will mark the first home match for the Bearcats since April 3, during the spring 2021 season. 

The Bearcats enter their home stand weekend with a 3-9 (1-3) record on the fall season while on a three-match skid. McKendree most recently dropped mid-week matchup to Southern Indiana in Evansville but finally are able to open up Melvin Price Convocation Center this season, beginning on Friday night. The lone conference win for McKendree came against Drury on September 18 in a five-set contest in Springfield, Missouri. The sophomore outside hitter duo of Colleen Preusser and Brianna Binder has been lethal through the first 12 matches of the fall with Preusser collecting 132.5 points (3.08 points per set) and Binder recording 123.5 (2.87 points per set). Preusser has made marks across the court on the year with 107 kills (2.49 per set) and 17 service aces (eighth in the GLVC) while on defense the sophomore has 126 digs (3.00 per set) with 17.0 blocks. Binder also makes her presence known on both sides of the ball via 129 digs (leads McKendree) and 13.0 blocks, also owning 2.58 kills per set (111 total) and five service aces. The Bearcat offense also features a coordinator with junior setter Macy Tongate dishing out 382 on the year so far (8.88 per set). Overall on defense, there are five players with at least 1.9 digs per set and six collecting double-digit blocks on the season so far. 

UMSL:
The Tritons enter the weekend with a 9-3 record and an undefeated conference record (4-0)while being winners of their last six contests. UMSL most recently swept both Rockhurst (9/24) and William Jewell (9/26) at home. Senior outside hitter Charlotte Richards owns the offense for the Tritons, recording 5.40 points per set behind 4.98 kills per set off a .244 hitting percentage. She has amassed 219 kills on the season with 11 aces as well as 11 blocks and 137 digs. Senior Kaileen Herman runs the Triton attack as the primary setter, collecting 417 assists (9.48 per set) on the year. Libero Megan Woll leads the Triton defense with 250 digs (5.68 per set) while Herman and Richards both average more than three per set.

The all-time series between the Bearcats and Triton is locke dup at 7-7 with UMSL winning back-to-back matches versus McKendree. Over the last 10 contests between the two, the Bearcats own the advantage with a 7-3 record, winning five straight from 2014 to 2017.

Truman State:
The Bulldogs enter the weekend with a 2-11 overall record and sit at 0-4 in the GLVC. Truman State currently holds a 10-match losing streak and most recently dropped matches to Drury and Lindenwood. Outside hitters Ellie Kaat and Morgan Smith lead the Bulldogs offensive efforts with 2.78 (130.5 total) and 2.76 (129.5 total) points per set. Maat owns 116 kills on the year while Smith has amassed 109 this fall. On defense Smith ranks second on Truman State with 133 digs (2.83 per set) while setter Molly McGurn leads with 3.63 per set and 167 total. The net has been guarded equally by Kaat, Heise, and Beaton, all who own 20 blocks this year.

The Bulldogs are the leaders in the all-time series at 7-5 over the Bearcats, winning the last matchup in 2019 in Kirksville. 

NOTES:
Mckendree will look to snap a three-game skid in Friday's matchup against the Tritons and break the two-game streak that UMSL has over it as well.

Colleen Preusser and Brianna Binder lead the Bearcat attack with 2.49 and 2.58 kills per set. Preusser also leads the McKendree point efforts with 3.08 per set while Binder owns 2.87 per set. 

Binder has recorded six matches with 10-plus kills while Preusser has five with double-digit kills. 

Defense is a collective effort for McKendree with five individuals averaging 1.90 digs per set. Six players have recorded at least 10 blocks on the year.

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