LEBANON, Ill. – McKendree's men's volleyball team defeats the Queens University of Charlotte Royals for the second day in a row in a sweeping fashion. The final set scores were 25-22, 25-18, 25-16.
The Bearcats jumped out to an early three-point lead at 3-1 after a three-point run, consisting of a kill from senior middle blocker
Rolen Lively, a service ace from Lively, and a kill from junior setter Nate Flyater, to start the set and match. McKendree was in control of the first set from start to finish. The Royals could not find the momentum to ever take the lead from the Bearcats. Queens brought the score within one point at 20-19, but back-to-back McKendree kills from redshirt senior outside hitter
Sam Hoskin and senior opposite
Bryce Wetjen placed the Bearcats back up three points. McKendree was just out of the Royals' reach, ending the set on a kill from graduate outside hitter
Tyler Tripp.
In the second set, Queens was able to keep the Bearcats within one point, even taking the lead momentarily at 8-7. McKendree had an immediate response with a run of five points to reclaim the lead and create a four-point separation from the Royals. Queens managed to keep the score with four, but at 21-17, off senior setter
Jack Morikawa's serve, the Bearcats found themselves on another three-point run, made up of a kill from redshirt sophomore
Will Klimek and back-to-back kills from Hoskin, giving McKendree set point. A Royals kill would hold off the Bearcats, but not for long. Wetjen answered with a kill to put away set number two, giving McKendree a 2-0 advantage in the match.
Queens, in a must-win set, could not hold the Bearcats off to start the third set. McKendree came in hot, going on an early run of five points, highlighted by a kill from Wetjen, two kills from Tripp, and a service ace from Hoskin, leaving the score at 9-3. The Royals did not have an answer, allowing another Bearcats' run of three points, consisting of a kill from Wetjen, followed by back-to-back service aces from Wetjen, which stretched McKendree's lead to seven points. From there, the hole the Bearcats dug for Queens was too much for the Royals to overcome. A kill from Hoskin put away the set and match.
Wetjen led the way for McKendree's offense, tallying 13 kills with a .348 hitting percentage. Hoskin followed with eight kills, and Klimek followed with a career-high seven kills while hitting at a .500 percent on an errorless match. Flayter notched 32 assists and contributed four kills with a hitting percentage of .571. The Bearcats collected eight service aces on the match, three coming from Wetjen, two from Lively, and one apiece for Tripp, Hoskin, and redshirt sophomore
Boone Felts.
Flayter and Wetjen combined for 20 digs, 10 apiece, leading the way in the back court. Tripp followed, picking up eight digs. At the net, Tripp, Lively, Klimek, and Wetjen each tallied three block assists.
UP NEXT: McKendree will be back on the road next weekend, Mar. 5-7. The Bearcats will take on Northern Kentucky University on Thursday at 6 PM CT, followed by a 4 PM CT match against Ohio State University.
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