Kearney, Neb. - The sixth-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team heads to Omaha this weekend for the UNO Volleyball Showcase. 

The Lopers will play Arkansas-Ft. Smith and Winona State (Minn) on Friday and Augustana (S.D.) and the Mavericks on Saturday. Live stats will be available for each match and can be found HERE.

Note first serve for the Lopers matches with WSU and UNO might be pushed back if other matches run long.

UNK must replace five seniors, including three All-Americans, from last year's 31-5 club. True freshmen Liz McGowan (Grand Island C.C.), Molly O'Brien (Overland Park, Kans.) and Ashley Pearson (Bennington) are the new players to watch with middle Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian), a preseason All-RMAC pick, leading a talented sophomore class.

Junior Jenna Rouzee (Grand Island NW) is now the Lopers setter and will look to get the ball to classmate Ariel Krolikowski (Grand Island) on the outside with UNK's seniors being outside/defensive specialist Shelby Workman (Loveland, Colo.) and setter Jordan Squiers (Kearney Catholic).

Up first this weekend is UAFS, a former junior college in its first full-fledged year as a Division II member.

The Lions should be team to watch this fall in the Heartland Conference and South Central Region as they redshirted two top players in 2010 (outside Fabiane Nass and middle Heidi Luks) and still posted a 19-13 mark against D2 competition. One of their setbacks came in four sets to UNO.

UNK has more familiarity with Winona and Augie, both of whom are members of the NSIC (Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference) and Central Reigon.

Winona is picked eighth in the NSIC preseason poll and coming off a 12-16 campaign. The Warriors are led by all-conference libero Shannon McGowan (5.93 dpgs) and junior middle Kathy Loff (2.95 kps).

Last fall in Kearney, the Lopers swept Augie (-11, -21, -23) but the Vikings played well in the second and third sets. They went 14-15 in 2010 and return most of their key players.

Libero Grace Sanders (5.72 dps) earned All-NSIC honors while outsides Jordan Spatenka (2.74 kps) and Lindsey Petersen (2.20 kps) each had 10 kills in the loss to UNK.

Finally, UNK renews its rivalary with UNO after the teams didn't face each other in 2010. Since 1999, the Lopers are 8-3 against the now-Division I Mavericks.

UNO lost to Bradley (twice) and Illinois-Chicago last weekend in Peoria, Ill., to start its regular season, The Mavs went 17-15 last fall and are led by middle Lizzy Mach (1.27 kps) and outside Natalie Ebke (2.64 kps).

Next week, the College of St. Mary comes to the Health & Sports Center Wednesday night and then Lopers host the UNK Comfort Inn/Runza Fall Classic Friday-Saturday.