LEBANON, Ill. - It had been 62 days, over two full calender months, and 20 consecutive victories since the last time the Quincy University women's volleyball team suffered a loss on the court, back on the 2nd of September to the Javelinas of Texas A&M Kingsville.

Junior, Emma Wijnbergens 1000th kill proved to be a bright spot in an otherwise rough evening for the Hawks, falling in five sets to the Bearcats of McKendree University (25-23, 17-25, 25-22, 24-26, 13-15). 

Set One: 

The Hawks spent the majority of the set playing the catch up game, creating and erasing deficits until taking the advantage late. Kills from Luna Van Baars and Alice Pavan along with an ace from Emma Wijnbergen knotted things at 6-6 in the early going. 

Quincy took a brief lead at 9-8 later in the set, using an error, a block from Pavan and a block and kill from Susanna Beretti for a three-point run. Shortly after, a Bearcat run found QU trailing 14-10, prompting the Hawks to take five of the next six points to even the tally at 15-15. 

The Hawks regained the lead shortly after at 17-16 and never fell behind again, fending off five tying efforts from McKendree to claim a 25-23 victory in the first set. 

Set Two: 

MCK jumped out to a six-point advantage to open the frame, leading it 8-2. The Bearcats continued to press the issue, later upping the lead to seven at 11-4.

QU couldn't get anything going until it was too late, finding its first real traction in the set with a five-point run at 18-7 to cut the lead down to six 18-12. McKendree rolled on to a 25-17 win in the set to even the match 1-1. 

Set Three: 

Two three-point runs, separated by a MCK point, fueled Quincy to an early 8-3 advantage. Kills from Pavan, Van Baars and Wijnbergen along with an ace from Amber Glen powered the rally. 

As the set drew on, McKendree started working its way back into the mix, cutting the lead to two at 13-11 and 14-12 before drawing within a point at 15-14. QU stayed strong, holding off MCK advances and building a late 22-18 lead on a three-point run. Two kills from Erin Matzke and the 1000th career kill from Wijnbergen supplied the run. 

A kill from Pavan closed out a 25-22 win in the third set for Quincy. 

Set Four: 

Neither side was able to create any separation large than two points until a five-point QU run, down 10-9, put the Hawks ahead 14-10. The Bearcats came back to even the tally at 18-18 before using a six-point run, following a Quincy point, to lead 24-19 and force set point. 

With their back against the wall, the Hawks grinded out five straight points on a Matzke block, two errors and back-to-back service aces from Brianna Merkel to lock the score at 24-24. McKendree took the final two points to even the match at 2-2 with a 26-24 victory in the fourth set. 

Set Five: 

Beretti knocked home the first point of the decisive fifth set before three straight Bearcat points made it 3-1. The Hawks even the score on another Beretti kill and an error, then took a 5-4 lead shortly after on a Wijnbergen kill and another error. 

MCK took the next four to regain the lead 8-5. QU took advantage of more errors from its opponent and kills from Van Baars and Wijnbergen to even the score 10-10.

Two straight McKendree points prompted a three-point response from Quincy to give the Hawks a 13-12 advantage. The Bearcats claimed the final three points for a 15-13 set, and 3-2 match win to snap Quincy's 20 match winning streak. 

Next up for the Hawks is a nationally ranked GLVC showdown with #3 Tritons of University of Missouri - St. Louis on Saturday evening (Nov. 4). First serve is slated for 6:00 PM.