Kearney, Neb. – The 4th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team saw its 2011 season come to an end Thursday night as the Lopers fell in five sets to the Colorado School of Mines Orediggers in an NCAA Tournament first round match at the Health & Sports Center.
 
This was the opening day of the 64-team NCAA tourney with UNK the top-seed in the ultra tough Central Regional.
 
For the second time this year, the Orediggers (19-10) managed to beat the Lopers (32-2) as junior outside Jackie Stabell recorded 29 kills, 15 digs and a block.
 
Winning an NCAA match for the first time in four tries, and picking up a victory in Kearney for the first time in five years, Mines stopped a two-match losing streak by scores of -24, -21, 25-27, 20-25, -11.

To see the press conference for both Mines and UNK, go to the regional webpage.

On September 23rd in Golden, the Orediggers beat the Lopers in four sets (16-25, -22, -20, -9) to hand UNK its only loss of the regular season. Twelve days ago, the Lopers swept Mines in Kearney (-13, -21, -15).
 
Stabell had 10 kills in that loss but was part of an offense that stayed in system and rhythm and produced 74 kills in 203 attempts (.227 attack pct.). By way of comparison, UNK had only 58 kills in 174 attempts (.230 attack pct.).

The 'Diggers also out dug the Lopers, 89-76, and served tough throughout the match.

"Jackie Stabell is as good as they get in Division II. She has every shot there is," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "She's a competitor. She's a warrior. She wants the ball down the stretch and quite frankly, she was the difference in the game. When the had to have a kill, they had to have a point, when they had to have a serve, she was unbelievable."
 
After being down 2-0, Kearney not only tied things up at two but led 2-0 in the fifth set. However, Mines scored 10 of the next 13 points to open up an insurmountable lead. This run featured three team blocks and two kills from Stabell.
 
UNK did make one last push, getting within a 12-10 score after a solo block by sophomore outside Ashley Leitner (Lincoln SW). However, Stabell recorded two more kills, the last one ending the match.

"This was a goal of ours. Now the bar is set higher and getting to the Sweet 16 is where we want to be," Mines coach Jamie Skadeland said. "Being in system was crucial, and putting Kearney out of system was big so they would give the ball back to us so we could run it again," Skadeland said.
 
Early on, Stabell recorded back-to-back kills in the first set to erase a 25-24 Loper lead. Mines had led 21-11 before UNK stormed back to take that brief lead.
 
The 'Diggers returned the favor in set two as they rallied from a 17-13 deficit to win by four. UNK then trailed 25-24 in the third set before scoring the last three points, two on unforced Mines errors. Finally, UNK led the fourth set from start to finish.  

"We didn't ball control very well and that's been a strength of our team. Part of that was that Colorado Mines served very aggressively," Squiers said. "We didn't serve well at all. When people talk about missed serves being frustrating, it's just as frustrating to watch their setter run the offense from right on the net and have every option she wants in every rotation."
 
A first-team All-RMAC pick, Stabell reached her kill total in 51 swings and committed only five errors (.471 attack pct.). Three others were in double digits in kills in sophomore middle Melanie Wannamaker (18), freshman outside Sarah Pekarek (11) and juniir middle Holly Hutchison (10).
 
Pekarek (14 digs) joined Stabell in the double double club with senior setter Amanda Massey at 69 assists, 15 digs, four blocks and two kills.
 
For UNK, sophomore middle Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian) had 17 kills, tying a career-high and hit .421 while providing thee blocks on defense. Leitner (14), playing on a bum ankle, was the only other Loper in double figures in kills.
 
In her final collegiate match, senior DS Shelby Workman (Loveland, Colo.) had a team-high 20 digs.

"We're disappointed. I don't think we played as well as we're capable of," Squiers said. "I don't know how far we were capable of going, but I know it was farther than this. I feel bad for our players because this was not representative of the way we played most of the season."

The other three matches were 3-0 sweeps. Four-time defending national champ Concordia-St. Paul (29-2) won a 25th straight NCAA match by beating NSIC rival Minnesota State (-10, -19, -21).

The second-seeded Golden Bears will face third-seed Minnesota-Duluth (28-3) tomorrow at 5:00 p.m. in one second round match as the Bulldogs swept Wayne State (-14, -23, -19) to start the day''s action.

Mines will tangle with fifth-seed SW Minnesota State (24-6) as the Mustangs got by RMAC member Metro State (-19, -26, -22)