LEBANON, Ill. – Montevallo volleyball posted a 2-0 record on Saturday at the McKendree Invitational after a pair of gutsy wins over host McKendree and Maryville.
GAME ONE RECAP
The Falcons began the day with a 3-0 sweep over the tournament hosts after topping McKendree by scores of 27-25, 27-25, and 25-23.
In a back-and-forth first set, Montevallo trailed by five late by a score of 22-17 before going on a six-point run to go up by one. A trio of consecutive kills from three separate Falcons in the closing stages of the opening set secured a lead for Montevallo heading into the second.
Lily Erdal facilitated the offense in the second set with nine assists in the second set before late errors from McKendree left Montevallo needed just one more set to open the day with a win. The third and final set of game one featured five kills from
Mallory Hulsey and another seven assists from Erdal as Montevallo held off a late charge from the Bearcats to take a victory of the tournament hosts.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 3 | McKendree 0
Records: Montevallo 2-1 | McKendree 0-3
Location: Lebanon, IL | Melvin Price Convocation Center
GAME NOTES
- Montevallo's largest lead in its 3-0 victory over McKendree came in the final set with a four-point advantage with a score of 22-18.
- Lily Erdal tied a game-high with 20 assists on the day while adding eight digs to earn Montevallo's Player of the Game.
- Mallory Hulsey lead Montevallo with a total of 12 kills with Eliza Tyrell adding eight kills and three aces.
- Lilly Singleton posted three blocks, three aces and six kills on a .357 hitting percentage while Ava Wind, defensively, posted 16 digs.
GAME TWO RECAP
The Falcons closed the trip to Illinois with a win over Maryville after a back-and-forth five-set outing on Saturday afternoon.
The opening set saw Montevallo tally 14 kills in a 25-23 win with five kills from
Mallory Hulsey to go along with eight assists from
Lily Erdal while Maryville gave away seven errors in the first. In the second set, the Falcons and Saints were evenly matched offensively with 15 kills apiece, but three aces from Maryville proved to be the difference in a 25-21 loss for Montevallo. UM controlled the third set after a four-point run midway through gave Montevallo a 17-10 lead while five kills from
Katie Wilkerson secured a 25-13 win in the third. The Saints responded in the fourth set with 15 kills to just nine from Montevallo to go along with another three aces to secure a fifth set after a 25-18 win in set four. The fifth and final set was punctuated by an 11-3 run from Montevallo with five kills from four separate Falcons to give Montevallo a 15-7 set win and a 3-1 start to the season.
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Montevallo 3 | Maryville 2
Records: Montevallo 3-1 | Maryville 1-3
Location: Lebanon, IL | Melvin Price Convocation Center
GAME NOTES
- Montevallo's 11-3 run in the final set of game two is now the Falcons' longest scoring run of the 2026 season.
- The Falcons' 3-1 start to the season is the best since the 2021 season and marks the best start in Head Coach Haven O'Quinn's tenure.
- Lily Erdal's 34 assists in Montevallo's five-set victory set a new career high from the sophomore setter while her three aces led the game.
- Mallory Hulsey led Montevallo's offense with 21 kills on a .409 hitting percentage while adding three blocks and three digs.
- Ava Wind set a season-high with 23 digs in her five sets of action to pair with five assists.
UP NEXT: The Falcons will head to South Carolina to take on Lander and North Greenville on Sept. 4 and Sept. 5, respectively, at the USC Aiken Invitational.
