LEBANON, ILL. – Despitea thrilling first set win, Charleston could not sneak past the Bearcats of McKendree University on Saturday night, falling 3-1 (30-32, 30-28, 25-16, 25-19).
 
Just the Basics
 
SCORE- Charleston 1, McKendree University 3
 
TEAM RECORDS - Charleston (1-2), MU (1-1)
 
UC Match Leaders
- Max Senica had 11 kills against the Lions
- Maarten Bartels, Ian Barker, and Diego Villafane each had 1 block for Charleston
- Diego Villafane had 35 assists for the Golden Eagles
- Torkil Aarflot had 13 digs for UC
 
How It Happened
Charleston could not top McKendree University on Saturday night, falling 3-1 (30-32, 30-28, 25-16, 25-19) to the Bearcats. The first set of play was an intense one, as the Golden Eagles topped the Bearcats in a long battle. The set started off point for point, as neither side could get an edge on one another. The Bearcats however, went on a four point run to lead 12-7, before UC fought back to take their own 21-20 lead. Charleston continued to challenge their hosts, forcing themselves past the Bearcats to win the set 32-31, with a block assist by Adriel Roberts and Diego Villafane to snag the final point. UC's Max Senica and Maarten Bartels each had three kills in the first set, all assisted by Villafane.
 
The second set of play was a similar story between the two sides, as they went point for point until McKendree topped UC 30-28. Charleston's Ian Barker stepped up with two kills, but they were not enough to help lift the Golden Eagles over the Bearcats, losing the set 30-28.
 
Building off of the momentum from the second set, the Bearcats used their energy to work past the Golden Eagles in a 26-16 win. UC saw a strong performance from Senica, as he had four kills in the set
 
The last set of play was not in favor of Charleston, as McKendree continued to push past to gain the win on the day. Despite leading the set until the 10^thpoint, the Golden Eagles were unable to gain an edge over the Bearcats, falling 25-19, and ultimately losing the match 25-19.
 
UP NEXT
The Golden Eagles will host Stevenson University on January 16^th, starting at 7:00 p.m.