Kearney, Neb. - The 23rd-ranked Metro State volleyball team got 20 kills from outside Bri Morley and 35 digs from libero Amy Watanabe to beat 3rd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney in five sets (13-25, 22-25, -23, -19, -9) for the 2009 RMAC Tournament title Saturday night.

The match was played in front of 1,586 fans at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK (33-2) sees its 27-match win streak come to an end, as well as its 20-match home win streak. The Roadrunners (23-7), who were swept by the Lopers during the regular season, win the RMAC tourney title for a fifth time in school history.

Moment of the Match
Recording 25 of its 52 kills over the first two sets, UNK didn't trail until Metro began the third set with two aces.  While the Lopers would come back to lead 15-12, Metro closed the third set on a 7-5 run that featured three kills from middle Julie Causseaux.

Metro pretty much controlled the 4th and 5th sets, smashing home 25 kills compared to the Lopers 13. The 'Runners jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the final frame and a kill from setter Gabrielle Curtis gave the title to Metro.

On the night, Metro had more kills (62-52), team blocks (8-3) and aces (8-6) then the Lopers; the 'Runners strong serve game also got UNK out of sync over the last three sets. UNK did record four more digs, 99-95.

All-Tournament Team
Morley, Metro (MVP)
Causseaux, Metro
Curtis, Metro
Erica Burson, UNK
Cola Svec, UNK
Kelsey Werner, UNK
Tessa Andrews, Mesa State

Lopers of the Match
Erica Burson (Sr., OH, Gretna) - 18 kills in 61 swings, 7 digs
Shelby Workman (So., OH, Loveland, Colo.) - 10 kills in 31 swings, 15 digs, 1 ace
Kelsey Werner (Jr., OH/RS, Grand Island) - 9 kills, 3 digs
Katlyn Heiserman (Jr., L, Manchester, Iowa) - career-high 30 digs
Cola Svec (Jr., S, Elkhorn) - 38 assists, 20 digs, 2 aces

Opponent Notes
Morley - 20 kills in 62 swings, .242 attack pct., 13 digs
Causseaux - 11 kills, 5 blocks, 4 digs
Curtis - 53 assists, 15 digs, 3 kills, 3 blocks
MH Lisa Jones - 12 kills in 28 swings, 4 digs, 2 aces

Up Next
NCAA Central Regional, Nov. 19-21 in St. Paul, Minn. The 64-NCAA Tournament field will be announced Sunday night