DRURY VOLLEYBALL
Drury Panthers (14-2, 6-1) at McKendree Bearcats (11-3, 6-0)
Tues., Oct. 3, 2017 | 7 p.m. | O'Reilly Family Event Center | Springfield, Mo.
 
Live Coverage
Watch Live - GLVCSN
Live Stats 
 
Panthers host McKendree in battle of division leaders
Two of the hottest teams in Great Lakes Valley Conference go head-to-head on Tuesday at the O'Reilly Family Event Center as Drury hosts McKendree. Game time is at 7 p.m.
 
The Panthers are 14-2, 6-1 in the GLVC and in first place in the West Division. Drury has won six straight and is 5-0 at home. McKendree is 6-0 in the league and 11-3 overall. The Bearcats have won 10 straight games entering Tuesday's match and are in first place in the GLVC-Central. Both teams are receiving votes in the NCAA-II national poll.
 
Drury is coming off of a 3-1 win at home over Truman State while McKendree extended their winning streak with a 3-0 win over Bellarmine in Lebanon, Illinois.
 
The Panthers went 3-0 last week and swept the GLVC weekly awards as Bentley Mara was named the conference's Offensive Player of the Week and Bree Schmidt was the GLVC Defensive Player of the Week. Mara averaged 4.9 kills per set and had a career high 22 in Drury's 3-1 win at home over Truman State on Saturday. Schmidt averaged 6.8 digs per set in the three matches last week.
 
McKendree won last year's meeting with a 3-0 win (25-23, 25-22, 25-23) in Springfield. The Bearcats leads the all-time series 5-4 and have won the last two head-to-head meetings with the Panthers.
 
Tuesday's match ends a stretch of six home games in seven contests for Drury. The Panthers go on the road for their next two games as they travel to Bellarmine on Friday followed by a game at Southern Indiana on Saturday.
 
QUICK FACTS 
Stat Leaders
Drury (numbers are average per set):
Kills- #14 Sarah Kite 3.57
Assists- #11 Kendra Sater 11.61
Service Aces- #1 Bentley Mara 14 (season total)
Digs- #5 Bree Schmidt 4.84
Blocks- #18 Faith Alwardt 1.10
 
McKendree (numbers are average per set):
Kills- #17 Arela Williams 4.45
Assists- #3 Morgan Melchert 10.35
Service Aces- #17 Arela Williams, #16 Kelly Voss 11 (season total)
Digs- #16 Kelly Voss 4.35
Blocks- #4 Carissa Lorenz 1.16
 
Head Coaches
Drury: Jenifer Bahner (4^th year, 71-36)
McKendree: Nickie Sanlin (4^th year, 66-31)
 
Last game
Drury won vs Truman State 3-1 (25-21, 18-25, 28-26, 25-20), Sat. at DU
McKendree won vs Bellarmine 3-0 (25-18, 28-26, 25-17), Sat. at MU
 
2016 matchup
McKendree won at Drury 3-0 (25-23, 25-22, 25-23), Nov. 4 at DU

All-time series 
McKendree 5-4
 
Next
Drury at Bellarmine, Friday, 7 p.m., Louisville, KY
 
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