LEBANON, Ill. - McKendree University men's volleyball matches up with Purdue Fort Wayne and Loyola Chicago this week to continue its conference campaign in the Midwestern Intercollegiate Volleyball Association. The Bearcats currently stand at 6-5 overall on the season and 1-3 against MIVA opponents heading into this week's games.
McKendree went 1-1 last week in MIVA play, falling in four sets to Lindenwood and securing its first MIVA win in three sets against Quincy.
On the season, McKendree is averaging 12.3 kills per set, led by freshman opposite side hitter Bryce Wetjen with 3.03 kills per set. Freshman middle blocker Rolen Lively holds the top attack percentage for the Bearcats at .458. In addition to amassing 418 assists on the year and ranking seventh nationally at 10.2 assists per set, junior setter Tyler Poulsen has fired a team-high 14 aces.
Defensively, Lively tops the blocks with 40.0 total and averaging 1.21 per set and sits at sixth nationally in blocks per set. In digs, outside hitter Kevin Schuele collects an average of 1.73 per set (4th in MIVA).
In MIVA standings, Mckendree is second in digs (8.34 per set), third in assists (11.54 per set), and fourth in kills (12.29 per set) and blocks (2.24 per set).
Purdue Fort Wayne sports a 10-4 overall record and a 1-3 mark in MIVA play following losses at No.11 Ohio State and No.12 Ball State last week.
Leading the offensive efforts for Purdue Fort Wayne is senior outside/opposite side hitter Jon Diedrich recording a league-highest 4.18 kills per set (8th nationally). On the defensive side, junior libero Matt Oakley collects 1.74 digs per set. Sophomore middle blocker Nicodemus Meyer sits at second in the NCAA with a blocking average of 1.452 per set.
In conference statistics, the Mastodons are second in service aces (1.76 per set), third in blocks (2.36 per set), and fourth in digs (8.06 per set).
No.10-ranked Loyola Chicago sits at 11-2 on the season and boasts a 4-0 MIVA record as they will travel to Lewis on Wednesday before Saturday's matchup with McKendree.
Topping kills for Loyola Chicago is redshirt sophomore outside hitter Parker Van Buren, tallying 4.05 kills per set (3rd in MIVA) and recording a team-high .634 aces per set (1st in MIVA, 7th nationally). Van Buren also leads the league in hitting percentage, completing .382 percent of kill attempts.
Against MIVA foes, Loyola Chicago ranks first in hitting percentage (.337) and service aces (2.00 per set), and second in blocks (2.63 per set), kills (12.44 per set), and assists (11.56 per set).
Following this week's games, the Bearcats will host three MIVA contests at home, starting with Lewis on Friday, March 3.
