Williamsville, Ill. - The Hawks kicked off the 2024 edition of the GLVC Championship Volleyball Tourney with a sweep of the Bearcats of McKendree (25-16, 25-19, 25-21) behind a 19-kill performance from Emma Wijnbergen, making her the new single-season kills leader in the history of the conference at 574 terminations and counting. 

Set One 

A Susanna Beretti kill opened the match before a five-point Quincy run shortly after lifted QU to a 6-2 advantage to open the first set thanks to four Bearcat errors and a Luna Van Baars kill. 

Later in the set, McKendree pulled back within a point at 8-7, remaining within striking distance until a five-point QU run at the 15-13 mark put the Hawks ahead for good at 20-13, leading to a comfortable 25-16 winner in the first set. 

Set Two 

Quincy got off to another hot start in the second frame, this time using a seven-point run in the early going to lead it 9-3.

The Bearcats never crept closer than four points for the remainder of the set, as the Hawks stretched the advantage to as many nine points on a Beretti kill at the 24-15 mark before going on to take the frame shortly after on another Beretti kill, 25-19. 

Set Three

QU got it rolling early again in the third and final set, jumping out in front 9-3 on kills from Erin Matzke, Wijnbergen, Beretti and Van Baars. 

Later in the set at 14-11 Hawks, a three-point run for QU pressed the advantage to 17-11 heading down the stretch until a six-point MCK run brought the Bearcats all the way back to a 17-17 draw. 

Quincy responded with three points of it's own on kills from Wijnbergen and Zeynep Cetin along with blocks from Cetin and Elena Kasavica to take a 20-17 edge. A mixture of Hawks kills and Bearcat errors kept QU on the right side of a 25-21 final in the third set, capped off by kill number 574 of the season for Wijnbergen to finish off the sweep. 

Stat Leaders: 
19 Kills - Emma Wijnbergen
40 Assists - Elena Kasavica
4 Blocks - Zeynep Cetin
2 Aces, 17 Digs - Janelle Pye-Blacknard
2 Aces - Luna Van Baars

Next Up

The Hawks are back in action tomorrow (Nov. 23) from the Williamsville High School Fieldhouse for semifinal action against the winner of today's match between Rockhurst and Illinois-Springfield. 
The semifinal match is slated for a 2:30 PM start.