Kearney, Neb. - Freshman middle blocker Ellie Pesavento returned to action and had a team-high 13 kills to lead the 9th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team to a sweep of Colorado Christian (-20, -14, -19) Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.

UNK improves to 18-3 (9-0 RMAC) and wins a 35th straight conference regular season match. From 2003 through the 2005 season, the Lopers won an RMAC-record 39 straight regular season matches.

The Cougars, who beat a then-25th-ranked Regis team earlier this fall, lose a third straight to be at 10-9 (4-5 RMAC) for the season.

An Omaha Marian grad, Pesavento sat out the Chadron State and Bellevue matches earlier this week to rest a sore shoulder. She didn't show any ill effects of that injury tonight as she reached her kill total in 23 swings with just two errors (.478 pct.). In the third and final set, she had six kills in six attempts.

On the year, Pesavento leads the team in hitting efficiency (.368) and is third in kills (2.82 per set).

UNK also got six kills and three blocks from senior middle Jeri Walkowiak (Grand Island) and seven kills, four digs and two blocks from sophomore outside Ariel Krolikowski (Grand Island). Finally, senior setter Cola Svec (Elkhorn) had 29 assists, 10 digs, a block and a kill.

Svec now has 5,008 career assists, becoming only the fourth UNK setter to reach 5k in assists.

Christian, which became the 11th team to hit below .100 (.065) against the Lopers this year, got 10 kills and eight digs from Erica Brown. Also, Kelly Clausen added nine kills and four blocks.

The Cougars did push UNK in the first and third sets. An ace from setter Laurie Rosenthal made it a 23-20 score in the first set but, after a timeout, Rosenthal had a service error. A kill from Pesavento then gave UNK a 1-0 lead.

The third set featured nine ties and six lead changes. The Cougs trailed by just a 21-18 count before back-to-back unforced attack errors pushed the Loper lead to five. A block and kill from Pesavento then ended the set and match.

UNK has 10 regular season matches left and eight will be played on the road. The team doesn't return home until an Oct. 29th show down with rival Metro State.