QUINCY, Ill. - The Quincy University volleyball team is heading into the weekend with momentum.
After dropping three matches to open Great Lakes Valley Conference play, the Hawks answered in a big way on Saturday, defeating McKendree 3-1 inside Pepsi Arena to pick up their first conference victory of the season.
Now, Quincy will look to carry that energy onto the road for a pair of GLVC matchups, beginning Friday night at William Jewell College before heading to Kansas City, MO for a Saturday afternoon meeting with Rockhurst.
The Hawks enter the weekend 10-6 overall and 1-3 in conference play.
Previously for the Hawks
Against McKendree, Quincy put together one of its more complete performances of the season. The Hawks finished with 54 kills on 125 attacks while hitting .296 as a team. Quincy also held advantages in assists, 48-39, aces, 13-8, and digs, 51-34.
Aysem Kocaalp led the offensive attack with 15 kills and a .370 hitting percentage, while Selin Turgut added 14 kills and four aces.
Erin Matzke was nearly unstoppable offensively, recording 13 kills on just 24 attacks while hitting .500. Behind the attack, Macey Rocco directed the offense with 42 assists.
The defensive effort was just as important. Turgut, Kocaalp, and Amber Glen each recorded 12 digs, while Quincy limited McKendree to 45 kills and a .273 hitting percentage.
After battling through a tight second set, the Hawks took control in the final two sets, winning the third 25-18 and the fourth 25-20 to close out the victory.
Quincy will now try to turn that win into a weekend run.
William Jewell
Friday's match sends the Hawks to Liberty, Missouri, for a 6:00 PM matchup with William Jewell.
There is plenty of history between these two programs, and recently, that history has tilted in Quincy's direction. The Hawks are 18-5 all-time against the Cardinals and have won 10 consecutive meetings dating back to 2019.
Quincy took the most recent meeting in straight sets, winning 25-21, 25-18 and 25-16 in October of 2025.
The Hawks have been one of the more active offensive teams in the GLVC this season, entering the weekend with 730 kills and a .207 hitting percentage. Quincy is averaging 12.2 kills and 11.2 assists per set while also producing 2.1 service aces and 14.9 digs per set.
Kocaalp has emerged as one of Quincy's biggest offensive weapons, leading the team with 175 kills on the season. Turgut follows with 141, while Matzke has added 137.
Rocco has been the engine behind the offense with 560 assists, while Glen leads the Hawks with 215 digs.
With Quincy coming off a four-set victory and the Cardinals standing between the Hawks and the first half of the weekend, Friday's matchup will provide another opportunity for Quincy to build on what it established against McKendree.
Rockhurst
Less than 24 hours after Friday night's match, the Hawks will make their way to Kansas City for a 3:00 PM showdown with Rockhurst on Saturday.
The Hawks and Hawks — Quincy and Rockhurst — have a long history of their own. The most recent meeting gives Quincy something to draw from. The Hawks defeated Rockhurst 3-2 in the 2025 GLVC Tournament, rallying to win the deciding fifth set 15-10.
Rockhurst enters the weekend 9-4 overall and 3-0 in GLVC play, making Saturday a matchup against one of the conference's early leaders.
Rockhurst has been especially efficient offensively, hitting .263 as a team while averaging 13.3 kills and 12.4 assists per set. They are also averaging 2.2 blocks per set and has held opponents to a .219 hitting percentage.
The Rockhurst attack features a balanced group, with Chloe Tyrrell leading the team with 119 kills, followed by Ali Olson with 105, and Delaney Hope with 103. Molly Trachta has paced the offense with 304 assists, while Olson leads the team with 54 total blocks.
Rockhurst enters Saturday having won its last eight matches, including conference victories over William Jewell, Southwest Baptist and Drury. They will face the University of Illinois Springfield on Friday, prior to the matchup with Quincy.
Friday brings a familiar opponent and a chance to extend a 10-match winning streak in the series.
Saturday brings a team that has gotten off to a strong start in conference play and a chance for Quincy to test itself against one of the GLVC's early leaders.
The Hawks will get started Friday at 6:00 PM against William Jewell before closing the weekend Saturday at 3:00 PM against Rockhurst.
