LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University men's volleyball plays its first home Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association games this week. The Bearcats host Lindenwood University on Wednesday at 7 p.m. and Quincy University on Friday at 7 p.m. at the Melvin Price Convocation Center.
McKendree sports a 5-4 overall record and 0-2 record in the MIVA after falling to Ohio State and Ball State on the road this past week. The Bearcats also look to defend their perfect home court record as they are 3-0 at home this season.
McKendree ranks top five in the MIVA in three categories including second in digs (8.24 per set), fourth in kills (12.26 per set), and fourth in assists (11.56 per set). As a team, McKendree has recorded a .280 hitting percentage. The Bearcats have posted over 50 kills in four games this season and recently tallied a season-high 46 digs against Ohio State.
Offensively, the Bearcats are led by freshman opposite side hitter Bryce Wetjen with 3.09 kills per set, sophomore outside hitter Kevin Schuele with 2.82 kills per set, and redshirt junior outside hitter Kyle Wilson with 2.60 kills per set.
Schuele also leads McKendree with 12 aces on the season followed by junior setter Tyler Poulsen with 11. Poulsen recorded a career-high five aces against Ball State last weekend.
Through the first nine games, Poulsen as averaged 10.26 assists per set which ranks him at eighth nationally.
Defensively, Schuele is first in digs at 1.76 per set followed by graduate student libero Francisco Comas at 1.56 digs per set. In blocking, freshman middle blocker Rolen Lively is ninth nationally, collecting 1.08 blocks per set. Lively has led the Bearcats in blocking for the last five consecutive games.
Lindenwood holds a 3-6 overall record and a 1-1 record in the MIVA after most recently collecting a five-set win over Purdue Fort Wayne and falling in five sets to Loyola Chicago.
The Lions rank top five in two categories in the MIVA including third in dogs (8.22 per set) and fifth in service aces (1.25 per set). As a team, Lindenwood averages 11.81 kills per set and has recorded a .229 hitting percentage for the season.
Lindenwood is led in kills by freshman opposite side hitter Ian Schuller at 3.19 kills per set. In assists, junior setter Connor Sheehan averages 10.09 per set while senior outside hitter A.J. Lewis tops service aces for the Lions, tallying 16 for the season (3rd in MIVA).
Senior libero Kyle Deutschmann is the MIVA leader in digs, recording 2.09 per set. In blocking, opposite side hitter RaShawn Bonner averages a team-high 1.27 per set.
Quincy is currently 4-6 overall and 0-2 in the MIVA as the Hawks suffered a three-set loss to Purdue Fort Wayne this past Saturday. The Hawks will face Lewis on Wednesday night before competing at McKendree on Friday.
Quincy has recorded a .233 hitting percentage so far and averages 11.06 kills per set.
Leading the way in kills for the Hawks and in the MIVA is sophomore opposite side hitter Race Alleyne tallying 4.32 kills per set. Alleyne also leads Quincy with 11 aces on the season. Sophomore setter Jonas Holzinger has collected an 8.48-assist per set average through the Hawks' 10 games.
Defensively, junior middle blocker Roman Deryckere posts an average of 0.97 blocks per set while sophomore libero Dominik Wagiel leads the Hawks with 1.72 digs per set, ranking third in the league.
Up next, the Bearcats will face Purdue Fort Wayne at home next week before battling Loyola University Chicago on the road.
