MACOMB, Ill. - The Western Illinois volleyball team set four season highs but allowed UMKC to come back from a 2-1 deficit in a 3-2 loss (17-25, 25-23, 25-23, 22-25, 10-15) Saturday night (Oct. 29) in the home finale inside Brophy Hall.
The Fighting Leathernecks (11-15, 3-12 Summit League) set new season highs with 64 kills on 227 attempts, 61 assists and 106 digs. However UMKC (10-15, 4-10 Summit League) had 70 kills, 14 total blocks and eight service aces in the come-from-behind victory. The match featured 18 lead changes, including eight in the fourth set.
"There was a lot of great play on both sides tonight," said Western Illinois head coach Kym McKay. "The final set was tough. UMKC had 13 kills and they really took control of that set. Both teams are playing for pride and we are representing Western Illinois University as well as we can."
Western Illinois received big efforts from their senior class on Senior Night. Brooke Stittleburg, Megan Toczek and Cait Egan combined for 38 kills, 28 digs and five total blocks while Alyssa Holum compiled 23 assists and a season-high eight digs.
Stittleburg recorded 16 kills on 47 attempts, a season-high 23 digs and two blocks. She had five kills on seven attempts and seven digs in the fourth set. It is her first double-double of the 2011 campaign.
Toczek put down 11 kills on 30 attempts for her fourth double-digit effort of the season. Egan had 11 kills on 51 attempts and passed Western Illinois Hall of Famer Diane Ellefritz (1987-91) for eighth place in program history with 1,046 career kills.
"The biggest thing that this year's senior class has impacted has been mostly off the court," said McKay. "We have really worked hard to enhance the team culture this year and this group has been an important part of that. The seniors have built something really strong and we are proud of that."
Junior Bridget Murphy compiled 33 digs for her second straight 30-plus dig effort. She now owns four 30-plus dig performances this season and currently ranks first in The Summit League with 6.04 digs per set.
Freshman Ann Miller came off the bench to collect 14 kills on 46 attempts and eight digs. Fellow freshman Molly Murphy compiled 15 digs and picked up her conference-high 40th ace of the season in the fourth set.
Sophomore Sarah Fetter dished out 30 assists while sharing the setting duties with Holum. She also added three kills, eight digs and her eighth solo block of the season.
Western Illinois is quickly back in action Tuesday night (Nov. 1) at 7 p.m. as the Fighting Leathernecks play a non-conference match at in-state rival Chicago State. Western, who swept Chicago State in the 2011 home opener on Sept. 13, is looking for its 14th consecutive victory over the Cougars.
