LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University volleyball opened Great Lakes Valley Conference play here Friday evening by posting an impressive five-set victory over the University of Indianapolis (25-23, 25-13, 23-25, 18-25, 15-11) at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
 
With the win, McKendree snaps a four-match losing skid and improves its record to 5-6 overall and opens league with a win for the second consecutive season, while UIndy snaps a two-match win streak and falls to 7-5 overall and 0-1 in the league. The win also snapped a six-match losing skid for the Bearcats against UIndy as the last time McKendree picked up a win over UIndy prior to Friday was a 3-1 home win on Sept. 14, 2017.
 
Friday's win was keyed by three Bearcats recording 20 or digs in the match, which is the first time in the school's Division II era (2012-present) that three players recorded 20 or more digs in a match. In addition to having three players with 20 or more digs, the Bearcats also recorded 116 digs in the match, which were the most in match since recording 10-1 digs at Truman State on Sept. 23, 2017.
 
In the match, junior outside hitter Colleen Preusser (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran) led the way with a career-high 27 digs, while senior outside hitter Maddie Misner (Carbondale, Ill./Carbondale) added a career-high 24 digs and junior outside hitter Brianna Binder (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge) had 21 digs in the win. Freshman libero Ashlyn Berczynski (Minooka, Ill./Minooka) fell one dig shy of 20 as she finished with 19.
 
The Bearcats also recorded a season-high 72 kills and those 72 kills are the most in match since tallying 77 kills at Purdue Northwest on Sept. 13, 2019.
 
Binder and Preusser each had 21 kills, while freshman outside hitter Lauren Harris (Woodlawn, Ill./Woodlawn) added 10 kills on the night. The 21 kills by Preusser were a career-high.
 
The double-double of 21 kills and 21 digs by Binder was her team-leading seventh of the season, while Preusser's double-double of 21 kills and 27 digs was her fifth double-double of the season.
 
In the fifth set, UIndy held a 5-3 lead, before the Bearcats used a 6-0 run keyed by three kills from Misner and capped by a ball handling error from Sara Spalding to give McK a 9-5 lead. The Greyhounds responded with a 5-2 run capped by a kill from Hannah Sabotin to pull within 11-10. That would be as close as UIndy would get as the Bearcats scored four of the final five points, including Misner capping the match win with a kill. The kill was the fifth of the set by Misner, who had six in the match.
 
McKendree's win was also keyed by strong serving as the Bearcats recorded seven aces in the win, including two each from sophomore setter Amber Williams (Aurora, Colo./Rhodes College) and Berczynski.
 
Williams posted her fourth double-double of the season as she a match-high 59 assists and added a career-high 16 digs.
 
McKendree also had nine blocks in the match as junior middle blocker Lauren McCurley (Troy, Ill./Triad) tallied seven blocks and Preusser tied a career-high with four blocks.
 
The Bearcats hit .200 for the match and held UIndy to a .195 attack percentage and both teams each had nine blocks in the match.
 
Grace Hegwood paced UIndy with 15 kills and 18 digs, while Sophia Parlanti and Hannah Sabotin each had 11 kills. Spalding paced the Greyhounds defense 24 digs, while Makenna Barnhart had 19 digs.
 
Spalding also had 30 assists for a double-double, while UIndy's other setter, Alex Equihua had 17 assists and 11 digs for a double-double.
 
Set 1
The opening set was a back-and-forth affair as the two teams combined for 14 ties and six lead changes. McK would take an early 9-7 lead in the set and led 10-9 when UIndy used a 9-5 run to take an 18-15 lead. The lead would be shortlived as the Bearcats responded with a 5-1 run capped by a kill from Harris to take a 20-19 lead. The two teams would then trade points until back-to-back kills from Williams and McCurley sealed McK's 25-23 win.
 
In the set, UIndy outhit McK, .250 to .214, but the Bearcats had 21 digs and 17 kills in the set. Binder (6) and Preusser (5) combined for 11 kills in the set.
 
Set 2
McKendree hit .400 and had 13 kills and one error on 30 attack attempts to post a 25-13 win in the second set to take a 2-0 lead in the match. In the set, Binder had five kills and hit .556, while Preusser and Misner each had five digs and the Bearcats had three aces to none by UIndy. UIndy hit .000 in the set.
 
Set 3
The third set featured eight ties and two lead changes as both teams hit .169 in the set and combined for 34 kills and 77 digs. In the set, UIndy jumped in front 5-0 and led 7-2 when the Bearcats used a 6-2 run to pull within 9-8 following back-to-back kills from Preusser and Harris. UIndy would once again push its lead back out to 15-11 when the Bearcats once again responded with 9-4 run capped by a kill from Williams to take a 20-19 lead. The two teams would then trade points until UIndy closed out the set by scoring the final two points, including capping the 25-23 win on an attack error by Preusser. Preusser had eight kills, while Hegwood and Sabotin combined for nine kills in the set.
 
Set 4
The fourth set belonged to UIndy as the 'Hounds hit .293 with 14 kills and added four blocks, while McK hit .043 with 13 kills and had one block. In the set, UIndy jumped out to a 10-4 lead and led 16-9 when the Bearcats used a 3-1 run to pull within 17-12. That would be as close as McK would get a UIndy closed out the set on an 8-6 run to cap its 25-18 win to force a fifth and deciding set.

Set 5
In the fifth set, UIndy held a 5-3 lead, before the Bearcats used a 6-0 run keyed by three kills from Misner and capped by a ball handling error from Sara Spalding to give McK a 9-5 lead. The Greyhounds responded with a 5-2 run capped by a kill from Hannah Sabotin to pull within 11-10. That would be as close as UIndy would get as the Bearcats scored four of the final five points, including Misner capping the match win with a kill. The kill was the fifth of the set by Misner, who had six in the match.
 
Up Next
The Bearcats will look to make its two straight wins in a less than 24 hours as the Bearcats travel to Romeoville, Ill., for a 3 p.m. match on Saturday, Sept. 17 at No. 15 Lewis University (9-4 overall, 1-0 GLVC).