LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree University women's volleyball continues Great Lakes Valley Conference play this weekend as they host a pair of home matches at the Melvin Price Convocation Center on the McKendree campus.

The Bearcats open the weekend on Friday, Sept. 23 with a 6 p.m. match against the University of Illinois-Springfield, before concluding the weekend less than 24 hours later on Saturday, Sept. 24 with a 3 p.m. match against Quincy University.

McKendree comes into this weekend's action sporting a 5-7 overall record and 1-1 mark in the GLVC after opening league play last weekend with an impressive five-set home win on Friday over Indianapolis and then suffering a three-set loss on Saturday at 15th-ranked Lewis University. In the win against UIndy, the Bearcats made history as it marked the first time in the program's Division II era (2012-present) that three players recorded 20 or more digs in the match. Junior outside hitter Colleen Preusser (St. Charles, Mo./Lutheran) led the way with a career-high 27, while senior outside hitter Maddie Misner (Carbondale, Ill./Carbondale) added a career-high 24 and junior outside hitter Brianna Binder (Littleton, Colo./Dakota Ridge) had 21 in the win.

ABOUT THE BEARCATS (5-7, 1-1 GLVC)
The Bearcats have been offensively thus far this season by the play of Binder and Preusser through the first 12 matches this season as that duo has combined for 282 kills, 315 digs, 41 blocks and 25 service aces. In addition, those two are hitting a combined .175 as Preusser is hitting .182 and Binder is hitting .170. Binder leads the team in kills (155), kills per set (3.52), attack attempts (487), digs (172), digs per set (3.91) and aces (13) and is third in blocks with 23, while Pruesser is second in kills (127), kills per set (2.82), attack attempts (369), digs (143), digs per set (3.18) and aces (12). In addition, those two have combined for 12 double-doubles on the season as Binder has recorded a team-best seven and Preusser has had five.

Four other Bearcats, who are coached by Nickie Sanlin, have recorded 45 or more kills on the season as senior middle blocker Claire Diercks (Highland, Ill./Highland) has had 59 kills, while Misner has had 57 kills. Sophomore outside hitter Emma McIlhargie (Birch Run, Mich./Birch Run) has had 49 kills and is hitting a team-best .193 and junior middle blocker Lauren McCurley (Troy, Ill./Triad) has had 46 kills and leads the team and third in the GLVC in blocks with 51.

The Bearcats offense is directed by sophomore setter Amber Williams (Aurora, Colo./Rhodes College) as she is third in the GLVC in assists per set as she is averaging 9.87 per set and is also averaging 2.49 digs per set and is fifth in blocks with 16. Williams has recorded five double-doubles on the year, including back-to-back double-doubles last weekend.

Defensively, the Bearcats are fourth in the league in digs per set as they are averaging 17.09 per set and are sixth in blocks per set as they are averaging 2.04 per set. The Bearcats have had six or more blocks in a match eight times, including a season-high 14 blocks in its four-set win over then 19th-ranked Michigan Tech at the Hampton Inn Invitational in Kenosha, Wis. Additionally, McKendree's foes are hitting .185 on the season.
McCurley's 51 blocks and her 1.19 blocks per set average are third-best in the GLVC. She has recorded five or more blocks in match five times this season, including a high of 10 blocks in McK's win over Michigan Tech. Along with McCurley, Diercks is second in blocks with 31 and is averaging 0.69 per set. Five other Bearcats have had double-digit blocks on the year as Binder has had 23, Pruesser has had 18, Williams has had 16, Misner and freshman outside hitter Lauren Harris (Woodlawn, Ill./Woodlawn) have each had 10 blocks on the year.

As a team, McKendree has recorded 560 kills, 769 digs, 92 blocks and 56 aces in 12 matches and is hitting .169 as a team. The Bearcats are second in the GLVC and 14th nationally in Division II in team attacks per set as they are averaging 38.09 per set.

ABOUT ILLINOIS-SPRINGFIELD (5-6, 1-1 GLVC)
The Prairie Stars, who were tabbed to finish eighth in the Preseason GLVC Coaches' Poll, comes into Friday's match with McKendree sporting a 5-6 overall record and a 1-1 mark in the GLVC. UIS opened league play last weekend with a three-set home loss to UMSL and a five-set home win over Maryville, who has entered the game with a 9-3 overall record on the season. After opening the season with three wins in their first four matches, UIS has dropped five of its last seven overall with the wins coming at home against Maryville (3-2) and Missouri S&T (3-1).

Leading the way offensive for UIS is sophomore outside hitter Angela Denney, who is averaging 4.64 kills and 3.30 digs per set and is hitting .215.Denney leads the GLVC in kills per set, points per set and attacks per set. In addition to Denney, one other Prairie Star player have record 100 or more kills as sophomore right side hitter Zanea Spencer has had 100 kills and is averaging 2.70 kills per set and she has had 11 aces and is hitting .219.

Defensively, UIS is paced by the play of sophomore defensive specialist Amanda McConnell, who is averaging 4.30 digs per set, while junior middle blocker Macarena Flores leads the team in blocks with 31 and is averaging 1.07 blocks per set.

UIS' offense is directed by junior setter Regan Trueblood, who is averaging 7.49 assists per set and is also averaging 2.70 digs per set on the year.

As a team, UIS, who is coached by Kamille Jones, who is in her second season, is hitting .162 and their opponents are hitting .175. The Prairie Stars have recorded 446 kills, 641 digs, 64 blocks and 69 aces in 11 matches this season.

McKendree holds a 16-12 edge all-time in the series between the two teams. The Bearcats, though, have lost two straight matches in the series, including a three-set loss last season at home to the Prairie Stars.

ABOUT QUINCY (12-0, 2-0 GLVC)
The Hawks, who received 68 points in this week's latest AVCA Division II Coaches' poll, enters this weekend's action as one of the six remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division II women's volleyball. QU is 12-0 on the season and 2-0 in the GLVC after opening league play last weekend with wins at Missouri S&T (3-1) and at home against UMSL (3-1). The 12-0 start of the season in the best in Quincy's Division II history.
 
QU, who plays at Maryville on Friday before traveling to Lebanon to face the Bearcats, has three players that have record over 100 kills on the season, including redshirt senior outside hitter Mattison Norris has had 152 kills and is averaging 3.80 kills and 2.88 digs per game and has had 12 aces, 16 blocks and is hitting .293 on the year. In addition to Mattison, sophomore Emma Wijnbergen, who was named the GLVC Freshman of the Year last season, is second in kills with 125 and is averaging 3.13 kills per game and is hitting .287, while senior outside hitter Emily Rehagen, who was a First-Team All-GLVC selection in 2021, is averaging 2.63 kills and 2.70 digs per set and has had 10 aces on the year.
 
Redshirt senior Makayla Knoblauch, who was a First-Team All-GLVC selection in 2021, directs the Quincy offense as she is averaging 10.18 assists and 2.68 digs per set and has had 21 blocks and leads the team with 18 aces.
 
Defensively, QU leads the league in opponents hitting percentage as their foes are hitting just .119 on the season and have four players with 100 or more digs and six players with 10 or more blocks.
 
Redshirt sophomore libero America Galvan leads the team in digs as she is averaging 4.45 digs per set, while freshman middle blocker has recorded 39 blocks, including 14 solo blocks and is averaging 0.98 blocks per set. Senior middle blocker Alyssa Grimm is second in blocks with 35 and is averaging 0.88 blocks per game.
 
Along with leading the league in opponents hitting percentage, the Hawks also lead the league in attack percentage as they are hitting .276 as a team. Additionally, they have also recorded 554 kills, 660 digs, 83.5 blocks and 73 aces.
 
The Hawks have only gone to four sets just four times this season, but both of their conference matches last weekend went to four sets. QU is 8-0 in three set matches and 4-0 in four-set matches.
 
McKendree holds a 10-3 record against Quincy, but the Hawks won the most recent meeting last season in Quincy, Ill., as the Hawks picked up a 3-0 win over the Bearcats. Prior to last year's win by Quincy, the Bearcats had won nine consecutive matches against Quincy.

UP NEXT
Following this weekend's action, the Bearcats will return to the road as they travel across the state of Missouri for matches on Friday, Sept. 30 at Truman State and on Saturday, Oct. 1 at William Jewell. The Truman State is scheduled for a 6 p.m. start in Kirksville, Mo., while the William Jewell will begin at 3 p.m. in Liberty, Mo.