LEBANON, Il. -- The McKendree women's volleyball team dropped their first conference matchup against Drury University in a three-set match on Friday, Sept. 18.
SET ONE:
The Bearcats stayed steady for the first points of the match, executing points with kills that kept them within fighting distance. Drury separated with a three-point scoring run, earning the first fight to five points. After a handfull of serve recieve errors and a kill streak of three, McKendree was back to even with Drury. Once the Panthers hit point 16, they strung together an eight point run, giving them momentum to finish the set 25-14.
SET TWO:
Similar to the first set, the Bearcats and the Panthers were fighting head-to-head. Right side
Madelyn Clarke and middle blocker Illana Reed tallied two kills each before the five-point mark. Earning first ball opportunities, the two teams kept the flow of the game even, chasing each other by one point until point 14. Drury separated the momentum swing with a six-point serving run, until setter
Peyton Uptgraft earned a kill for the Bearcats. The last two earned points for McKendree were kills by outside hitter
Brooke Heimburger, but were too late before Drury reached the 25 point finish line. The final score of set two was 25-17.
SET THREE:
Set three featured new look for the Bearcats, with Uptgraft running the offense full time. After creeping back up from a 4-1 lead from Drury, an Uptgraft setter dump and a service ace from defensive specialist
Brielle Crose leveled the playing field to 4-3. The Bearcats gave points to Drury through attacking errors, allowing a three point deficet. The two teams battled once again, point-by-point until Drury hit point 12, where they earned a four-point serving run. With the momentum shifted in the Panther's favor, the Bearcats faced a battle of catch up. McKendree would go on to lose set four 25-17.
Key Stats of the Match:
- Uptgraft led the team in assists with 24 total
- Outside hitter Reece Distler finished with 10 kills and 12 digs, leading the Bearcats in offense and defense.
- Crose led the team with two aces.
McKendree is back at the Melvin Price Convention Center in a battle of the Bearcats tomorrow, facing Southwest Baptist University at 3 p.m.
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