Kearney, Neb. – Playing its final RMAC regular season match, the sixth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team hit .339 to sweep Colorado School of Mines (-13, -21, -15) Saturday afternoon at the Health & Sports Center.
 
Avenging its only loss of the year, UNK enters RMAC Tournament play with a 29-1 record. The Lopers went 17-1 in the RMAC this year and won 90% (287-31) of its RMAC regular matches since joining the league in 1995.
 
Also, the 29-1 regular season record (96.6 win pct.) is the fourth best in school history, trailing 2004 (33-0/100.0), 1990 (40-1/97.5) and 2005 (30-1/96.7).
 
Kearney is the No. 1 seed in the eight-team tournament and will host a first round match Tuesday night at 7:00 p.m. against an opponent to be determined.
 
Mines (18-9, 12-6 RMAC) beat the Lopers in four sets back on September 23 but fell behind by scores of 7-3 and 14-7 in the first set.
 
UNK finished with 18 kills and junior DS Kaleigh Anderson (Lincoln SW) served up eight straight points in one key stretch. Of those eight points, four came via kills by sophomore outside Ashley Leitner (Lincoln SW).
 
The Orediggers rebounded to grab an early 7-3 lead in the second set. However, UNK scored six straight to force Mines to call a timeout. The Lopers eventually built a 16-12 cushion but kills by Sam Johnson tied things at 20 and then again at 21.
 
With things tied at 21, a long rally took place but was halted when Loper sophomore right side Katie Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) suffered an apparent knee injury. She left the court and didn't return.
 
After a short break to attend to Sokolowski, UNK scored four straight to grab a 2-0 match lead. Kills by sophomore middle Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian) and Leitner made it 23-21 and a block from junior setter Jenna Rouzee (GI Northwest) ended things.
 
In the third set, UNK never trailed as they had 15 kills in 37 swings with only two errors, good for a .351 attack percentage.
 
Junior outside Ariel Krolikowski (Grand Island) led UNK with 12 kills and eight digs with Leitner and sophomore middle Haley Lake (Lincoln SE) at 10 kills a piece.
 
Before leaving, Sokolowski had seven kills in 12 swings, good for a team-best .583 hitting efficiency. Finally, freshman libero Liz McGowan (Grand Island CC) had 14 digs.
 
For Mines, junior star Jackie Stabell had 10 kills, seven digs and two blocks.