Romeoville, Ill. - Bryce Wetjen put down 30 kills to help No. 12 McKendree defeat the No. 16 Lewis University men's volleyball team, 3-1, on Senior Day at Neil Carey Arena.
With the win, the Bearcats improved to 16-9 (8-6 MIVA) while the Flyers shifted to 15-12 (7-7 MIVA).
IMPACT PLAYERS
Along with Wetjen, Nathan Flayter helped pace the McKendree offense with 52 assists while Wetjen and Tyler Tripp each had 11 digs. The Beatcats ended the contest with a .326 (64-18-141) hitting percentage while the Flyers edged them out with a clip of .357 (51-10-115).
Cameron Hoying (Columbus, Ohio/St. Francis DeSales) led the Flyers with another 20 kill performance while
Daniel Haber (Remsenburg, NY/Westhampton Beach) and
Cole Sweitzer (Middleton, Wis./Middleton HS) had 11 and 10 kills respectively.
Diego Estrada (Ponce, Puerto Rico/Adianez) dished out 39 assists while on the defensive side of the ball,
Nico Paula (Tampa, Fla./Berkeley Preparatory School) tied his own program record in digs with 22.
HOW IT HAPPENED
With the Flyers ahead 24-21, the Bearcats stunned the hosts as they used an uninterrupted 3-0 run to tie the set, 24-24. After trading the next two scores, McKendree tallied three of the final four scores of the set to comeback and win, 28-26 and take a 1-0 match lead.
After dropping the second set to the Bearcats 25-20, the Flyers took off in set three as they used a 6-0 run midway through the frame to open up an 18-10 lead. Both sides exchanged the next handful of scores, but another Lewis run, this time a 4-1 spurt, nearly sealed the set three win for the Flyers, 24-13. After an untimely McKendree service error,
Tyler Walenga (Frankfort, Ill./Lincoln-Way East) notched an ace the very next point to seal the 25-14 set three win and make it a 2-1 contest.
McKendree pounced on Lewis early in the final frame, scoring seven of the first ten points of the set. The visitors kept the red and white at bay for most of the frame and despite a late 6-3 push from the Flyers that brought them within two, 24-22, the Bearcats seal the 3-1 match and 25-22 set four win with Wetjen's 30th kill of the contest.
MATCH NOTES
- Prior to the match, the Flyers honored their senior class of Haber, Paula, Piotr Wymoczyl (Arlington Heights, Ill./Buffalo Grove HS), Oguzhan Oguz (Bursa, Turkey/Ocean), Kaiden Dolbee and Maddie Glaum.
- Today marked the 25th all-time meeting between both sides
- Hoying tallied 20-or-more kills for the first time since March 19 at Kentucky
UP NEXT
The Flyers will hit the road for the final time in the regular season, starting with a trip to Ball State on April 9 at 7 p.m.
For the latest news, scores, and updates on Lewis men's volleyball, visit LewisFlyers.com and follow the Flyers on social media at @Lewismensvb on Instagram and @LewisMVBall on X.
