LEBANON, Ill. - The McKendree University men's volleyball improved their record to 3-3 on the season with a 3-0 sweep of Maryville University here Friday night at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
The Bearcats won the first set 25-14, before winning set two 25-9 and the Bearcats finished off the sweep with a 25-20 set three win.
Two key factors of the Bearcats win were Maryville had zero serve aces while the Bearcats had six. The Bearcats also had a .333 hitting percentage and Maryville hit .000 as they had 19 kills and 19 attack errors on 60 attempts.
McKendree had four players with five or more kills with graduate student outside hitter Patrick Ross (Anthem, Ariz./Boulder Creek) recording a game-high 12 kills on a .579 hitting percentage. Ross also recorded two serve aces to put him in sole possession of the career leader in serve aces with 67. Ross passed former Bearcats Nolan Reuter (2015-2018) and Zach Schnittker (2017-2021) as all three were tied at 65 when the night began. Ross recorded his record-breaking ace in the second set when he put the Bearcats up 8-2 in the set.
Graduate student outside hitter Ethan Carroll (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) and freshman outside hitter Kevin Schuele (Aurora, Ill./Saint Francis) each recorded six kills. The final Bearcat with five or more kills was redshirt junior middle blocker Jacob Gall (Fairview Heights, Ill./Althoff Catholic) as he had five kills.
Defensively, the Bearcats had seven players record a block assist in the match. Ross led the way with four while redshirt senior middle blocker Tommy McGrath (Paradise Valley, Ariz./Brophy College Prep) recorded three block assists. Gall and redshirt junior middle blocker Daniel Duggan (Wheaton, Ill./Wheaton North) each added two with Gall recording the Bearcats only solo block for the Bearcats.
Maryville falls to 4-4 on the season. Luke Van Handel led the way for the Saints with seven kills. Mason Mortimer added five kills for the Saints.
The Bearcats resume their three match homestand on Thursday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. at the Melvin Price Convocation Center as the Bearcats welcome the Buckeyes of Ohio State in the MIVA opener for the Bearcats.
