HAMMOND, Ind. – The Malone University volleyball team competed in their first match of the 2024 Midwest Region Crossover Tournament on Friday and came up short against McKendree University in straight sets. The Pioneers fall to 5-13 overall while the Bearcats improve to 5-11.
 
Malone was restricted on offense and had matching kills and errors with 21 each. McKendree accumulated 41 kills in the win. Freshman Helaina Edgar had a team-high 13 assists for the team while senior Macy McCauley dug out 21 opposing attacks to pace the defense. As a team, the Pioneers were much more competitive in digs at 53-51 in favor of the Bearcats.
 
After scoring the first two points of the set, McKendree would find a rhythm and pull away to a 25-13 victory. A 12-4 kill-to-error ratio for the Bearcats allowed the opponents to take a 1-0 lead.
 
Edgar found freshman Marissa Smith for back-to-back points in set two to give Malone a 13-11 edge, but a massive scoring run for McKendree allowed them to escape with a 25-20 win. The Pioneers showed late life, but it was not enough.
 
Sophomore Jaymes Gilbert came on in the third set for the Malone offense. Her ace put the Pioneers in striking distance, but a 6-0 run to close the match gave the Bearcats the win and the sweep, 25-14.
 
Malone had two matches on Saturday, October 19, beginning with a matchup against Southwest Baptist University at 9:00 A.M. CST.