Hammond, Ind. - The eight-hour road trip to the Midwest Regional crossover had no impact on the SBU Bearcats as they swept day one of the tournament. Winning six straight sets, the Bearcats defeated Kentucky Wesleyan and Lake Erie for three straight wins, moving them to 7-12 on the season.
 
Game 1 vs Kentucky Wesleyan: Win, 3-1 (23-25, 25-18, 25-22, 25-20)
The Bearcats battled all the way through this game, dropping the first set against the Panthers, which is the only set they would lose all day. In set two, SBU bounced back with a vengeance starting out 8-2 including back-to-back aces from freshman Gabriela Dupree. They then held a 23-14 lead and fought off the Panther comeback to even the match. Set three was back-and-forth until SBU went on a 4-0 run for a 19-16 lead which would be good enough to hold on for 2-1 set lead. Most of the fourth set was controlled by the Bearcats with a 16-9 lead as they tamed the Panthers comeback attempt for the first victory of the day.
 
Three Bearcats finished with double digit kills in Dupree (15), senior Rory Stanley (10), and junior Hannah Jackson (10). Senior Katie Pogue had a standout game recording 24 assists, eight kills, seven digs, and one solo block. She had a remarkable .412 hitting percentage in this standout game of hers. As a team they had 10 total serving aces with five of those coming from Dupree. Freshman Chloe Chafins tagged along four aces with her team leading 16 digs. 
 
Game 2 vs Lake Erie: Win, 3-0 (26-24, 26-24, 25-21)
This match featured some close scores but was all Bearcats as they swept their opponents for the 5th time this season. Numerous team runs of two or three had the first set going back-and-forth with no team holding more than a three-point lead. Facing set point, the Bearcats went on a 4-0 run and finished it out with a 26-24 victory. Set two was dominated by the Bearcats for a majority of it, holding as much as a 10-point lead at 18-8. The Storm fought right back with a 9-1 run of their own making it a two-point game, before eventually tying the game at 24. Southwest Baptist hearts still prevailed as they came away with a 26-24 victory and two set lead. The final set was controlled by SBU all the way through as they never trailed before clinching the victory with a kill by freshman Julia Marinesi. 
 
Dupree had yet another double-double leading the team in kills with 12 and having 14 digs in the game. Jackson tagged along eight kills, Stanley added seven, and Marinesi had seven. Yet again, Pogue showcased her diversity with another strong game of 20 assists, eight kills, and eight digs with a .400 hitting percentage. Freshman Allie Hawk had a game high five serving aces in the game along with her 21 assists. 
 
The Bearcats will return to the Hammond Sportsplex for one more game this season as they compete against Lake Superior State. This game will take place at 9 a.m. Saturday morning as they conclude their non-conference opponents for the year.