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McKendree University Athletics

Schedule

Hailey Munoz
Matthew Schott
Hailey Munoz
7
Salem University SU (5-11, 0-0 WWPA)
9
Winner McKendree MCK (15-6, 0-0)
Salem University SU
(5-11, 0-0 WWPA)
7
Final
9
McKendree MCK
(15-6, 0-0)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Salem University SU 1 1 3 2 7
McKendree MCK 2 1 4 2 9
7
Gannon GAN (6-9, 0-0 WWPA)
11
Winner McKendree MCK (16-6, 1-0 WWPA)
Gannon GAN
(6-9, 0-0 WWPA)
7
Final
11
McKendree MCK
(16-6, 1-0 WWPA)
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Gannon GAN 0 2 1 4 7
McKendree MCK 2 3 3 3 11

Game Recap: Women's Water Polo | | Chase Messer, Assistant Director of Sports Information

Women’s Water Polo Goes 2-0 in the WWPA Bearcat Clash

Four Bearcats Earned 4+ Goals on the Day

O'FALLON, Ill. - The women's water polo team picked up two wins within the annual WWPA Bearcat Clash against Salem University and Gannon University in Western Water Polo Association (WWPA) action on Saturday, March 15th at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex in O'Fallon, Illinois. 

MATCH ONE vs. Salem

BOX SCORE 

Score: McKendree University 9, Salem University 7 

Record: Bearcats 16-6, 1-0 WWPA | Tigers 5-12, 0-1 WWPA 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

Salem was able to draw first blood four minutes and 16 seconds into action before Bearcat attackers sophomore Shanelle Márquez (Madrid, Spain) and junior Joey Rebelo (Montreal, Québec) each notched in their team's first goals and take a one-point lead after the first quarter. 

The second period of play saw only one goal for either side, keeping McKendree with a one-point edge. Sophomore utility Hailey Munoz (Murrieta, Calif.) was in for the Bearcats' lone goal. 

Pace would start to pick up at the start of the second half as the Tigers dropped in their third goal of the game to fall back within one. However, Márquez led a charge with putting in two of the team's three straight scores as Rebelo was in on the other to extend their lead to four. Salem got in a pair into the cage too end the third quarter to still be in content with the home squad. 

In the final period of regulation, the two teams would go back and fourth as Márquez and sophomore center Bella Morquecho (Chicago, Ill.) fired in two more goals for McKendree while the Tigers tabbed two more. The Bearcats will hold on and begin conference play with a feisty 9-7 win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

  • Márquez led the way with a season-high four goals on five attempts while also recording a steal and a field block on the defensive end. 

  • Rebelo and Morquecho each contributed a pair of goals as the former tacked on two assists and a drawn exclusion while the latter had three drawn exclusions and two steals. 

  • Munoz rounded out with a goal and a drawn exclusion. 

  • Senior goalkeeper Sydney Kane (Kankakee, Ill.) had 12 saves in the win 

  • Salem outshot McKendree 27-22. 

  • The Tigers were +1 in drawn exclusions. 

  • Salem Was +5 in total team steals. 

  • The Bearcats won the sprint battle 3-1. 

MATCH TWO vs. Gannon

BOX SCORE 

Score: McKendree University 11, Gannon University 7 

Record: Bearcats 17-6, 2-0 WWPA | Golden Knights 6-10, 1-1 WWPA 

HOW IT HAPPENED 

McKendree came into the final match of the Bearcat Clash with poise, scoring the game's first four goals coming from Morquecho, Rebelo, and junior attackers Jazmine Sandoval (Westminster, Calif.) Dylan Murphy (Carlsbad, Calif.). 

The two sides then began to go back-and-forth, bleeding into the second half of play where Munoz and Morquecho each got in another goal for the Bearcats as they held a steady 6-3 lead. 

From there, Rebelo notched in two straight goals to extend the lead to five with 4:07 remaining in the third quarter. Then, the seesaw affair would resume for the rest of the match, where Munoz got her second and third goal of the game while fifth-year attacker Jasmin Guzman (Cicero, Ill.) found her way in for a goal to pull out with an 11-7 win. 

INSIDE THE NUMBERS 

  • Rebelo and Munoz each recorded a hat-trick with three goals on five attempts, with the former also tallying three assists, a drawn exclusion, and two steals. 

  • Morquecho followed with a pair of scores for her team on three shot attempts, including four drawn exclusions. 

  • Sandoval, Murphy, and Guzman each finished with a goal and an assist. 

  • Kane tied her career-high of 20 saves with only seven goals allowed in this game, plus a steal. She had 20 against Salem last season in the WWPA Bearcat Clash on March 23rd, 2024. 

  • Gannon outshot McKendree 35-18. 

  • With one more win, the Bearcats will get their 100th victory as a program. 
     

UP NEXT

McKendree will be back in action next weekend when they stay home one more time to face Carthage College in a single-game weekend on Saturday, March 22nd at the McKendree Metro Rec Plex with a start time of 2:00 PM CT. 

For more updates and information on Bearcat Athletics, please continue to visit McKBearcats.com and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. 
#BearcatsUnleashed  

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