QUINCY, Ill. – The Hawks returned to Pepsi Arena for their penultimate match of the regular season, playing host to MIVA foe, the Bearcats of Mckendree University for a 7:00 p.m. contest. QU came away with a thrilling five set victory (27-25, 16-25, 26-24, 25-19, 15-13), led by a sensational 25 kill performance from Raje Alleyne.

Set One

Quincy jumped out in front first, taking advantage of two MCK errors to take a 2-0 lead. Later in the set, back-to-back kills from AJ Goedheer put the Hawks in front 9-8. Mckendree scored the next two, then followed with three straight errors to put QU in front 12-10.

Two Hawk errors and a service ace from the Bearcats found them back in the lead 13-12. Shortly after at 15-14, a four-point rally from Quincy put them back out in front 18-15. An ace from Raje Alleyne along with three errors powered QU to a three-point lead heading late into the set.

MCK answered with four straight kills to retake the lead 19-18. The Bearcats pressed their lead to two at 22-20, threatening to pull away and take the first frame. The Hawks evened the score 22-22 on another kill from Goedheer and an error.

Down to their last hope at set point 24-23, the Hawks utilized two errors from their opponent to flip the script, making it match point for Quincy 25-24. The Bearcats took the next point to draw the set 25-25, but another kill from Alleyne along with an error gave QU a 27-25 first set victory.

Set Two

Mckendree hopped on Quincy early in the second set, jumping out to an early 7-4 advantage. The Bearcats pressed their lead further, grabbing the next five points to propel the lead to 12-4.
The Hawks tried to get back in the set, using a three point run to draw within six at 17-11. Two errors along with a kill from Alleyne powered the Quincy comeback effort.

The comeback effort was short-lived, as MCK answered with three points of their own to replenish their lead to nine at 20-11. The Bearcats went on to capture the second set 25-16 to draw the match at 1-1.

Set Three

The Hawks fell behind 2-1 early, but responded with a three point run to pull ahead 4-2 on two kills from Alleyne and a kill from Niels Middendorp. Shortly after, kills from Alleyne and Keegan Carey gave QU a 6-3 lead.

Later in the set up 7-6, another kill from Carey along with a Bearcat error restored the Hawks three point lead at 9-6. MCK answered with three straight and six of the next eight points to claim the lead 12-11.

An error along with kills from Goedheer and Alleyne put QU back in front 14-12. Moments later, tied 14-14, three more Mckendree errors put Quincy back in front 17-14. The Bearcats showed their resilience, pulling back out in front late in the set 21-10.

Another kill from Goedheer tied things up at 21-21. Two points later, Middendorp tied it once again, this time at 22-22. Down again 23-22, Logan Brouwer found Alleyne twice to bring up set point 24-23. The Bearcats staved off a set loss, knotting the score at 24-24, but two more fatal errors from MCK gave QU a 26-24 set victory.

Set Four

Quincy looked poised to close out their first MIVA conference win of the season, taking an early 3-1 advantage. Later at 5-4, kills from Carey and Logan Gieseke along with an ace from Alleyne made it 7-4. After surrendering a point, QU tacked on three more on an error and kills from Carey and Goedheer to press the lead to 5 at 10-5.

A six point run from Mckendree evaporated the Hawks lead, and put them right back in the set, pulling out in front 11-10. Heading down the stretch, it looked as though the Bearcats were going to pull away in the set, extending their lead to 20-15.

Back-to-back kills from Carey drew Quincy within three at 20-17, but MCK didn't budge, maintaining their lead and finishing off the fourth set 25-19.

Set Five

In the hunt for coach Caren Kemner's first conference win, the Hawks got to work early in the 15-point fifth set. Kills from Middendorp, Goedheer and Alleyne along with an error found Quincy ahead 4-3.

The Bearcats moved out in front 6-5, taking three of the next four points. Mckendree maintained their one-point lead at 8-7 heading into the mid-way switch of sides. Kills from Alleyne and Goedheer put QU back in front 9-8. A point later, tied once again at 9-9, another kill along with an ace from Alleyne made it 11-9.

Tied once again at 11-11, two errors from MCK made it 13-11. Shortly after, up one at match point 14-13, a very fitting kill from Alleyne, to get him to the quarter century mark in the match, gave the Hawks a 15-13 set win and a 3-2 victory in the match.

With the win, Quincy snaps a 14 match losing streak to the Bearcats. In addition, also snapping a 26 match losing streak in MIVA conference play as well as giving coach Kemner her first career conference win.

The Hawks are back in action on Saturday (Apr. 8) for their final match of the regular season. A 4:00 p.m. MIVA showdown with the Flyers of Lewis University in Pepsi Arena on Senior Day will round out regular season play for QU.

Stat Leaders:
Raje Alleyne: 25 Kills, 6 Blocks, 2 Aces, 4 Digs
AJ Goedheer: 12 Kills, 3 Blocks, 7 Digs, 1 Ace, 1 Assist
Keegan Carey: 11 Kills, 1 Block, 4 Digs, 1 Assist
Logan Brouwer: 38 Assists, 1 Block, 2 Digs, 1 Kill