Box Score (Lebanon, Ill.) – The Missouri S&T volleyball team fought an uphill battle all day long in its 3-0 (23-25, 15-25, 18-25) loss at McKendree on Sunday. The Miners (13-13, 8-5 GLVC) hit just .049 for the match recording 28 kills against 21 errors.

S&T overcame an early five point deficit in the opening set only to watch the Bearcats (10-16, 5-8 GLVC) use a 7-2 run to break away and take a 21-16 lead. The Miners closed the deficit to 24-23 and forced McKendree to take a timeout. The Bearcats went onto a win the set on a kill by Sophie Fairman right after the timeout.

S&T trailed 7-3 in the second set, but four straight errors by McKendree evened things up. After that it was all Bearcats as they scored 15 of the next 17 points including 11 straight to bust it open. The Miners closed to within 22-15, but couldn't get any closer as McKendree scored the final three points of the set.

The Bearcats stormed out of the intermission scoring eight of the first nine points to begin the third set. S&T steadied itself and began to chip away at the lead eventually tying it at 13-all on a block by Krista Haslag (Linn, Mo./Helias ). However, just like the first two sets McKendree responded with a 9-2 run to take a 22-15 lead on a kill by Bailey Kempworth. The Miners wouldn't get closer than six the rest of the way.

Hayley Wright (Omaha, Neb./Millard West) and Claire Luther (St. Louis, Mo./Lutheran South) combined for 20 of S&T's 28 kills. Allie Plunk (Hurst, Texas/Birdville) had 24 assists and 17 digs.

The Bearcats finished the match with an attack percentage of .185 (43k/18e/135ta) and were led by Maureen Nesbit and Kempworth with 11 and 10 kills respectively. Aubry Dickmann dished out 17 assists while Maddie Kelly had 23 digs.

The Miners return to begin a five-game home stand to close out the regular season beginning on Saturday night against Lewis at 5 p.m.