Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. - The top-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team went on the road this weekend and swept MIAA rivals Pittsburg State (-26, -18, -9) and Central Oklahoma (-14, -12, -11).

UNK is now 10-0 (3-0 MIAA) on the year and has just two matches over the next 12 days.

On Saturday afternoon in Edmond, the Lopers improved to 7-0 all-time against the UCO Bronchos (4-7, 1-2. MIAA)

UCO's upset bid ended in the first set when reserve setter Faith Harmon left the floor due to injury. She was in the lineup because starting setter Carina Emsemann was out with injuries.
 
So, over the final two sets, UCO didn't have a true setter in its rotation. Thus, the Bronchos had 19 kills, and 17 hitting errors, to hit .023.  Meanwhile, a balanced Loper attack produced 45 kills and a .371 hitting efficiency.
 
Individually, senior outside Ariel Krolikowski (Grand Island) had a team-high 10 kills with freshman right side MJ Massanet (Manhattan, Kans.) having eight and hitting .538.
 
Defensively, sophomore outside Liz McGowan (GI Central Catholic) and senior libero Kaleigh Anderson (Lincoln SW) each dug up 10 balls.

Against Pitt, junior middle blocker Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian) had a career-high 20 kills as the Lopers got everything they wanted from the Gorillas in the first set but, after that, rolled.

The teams combined for 39 kills in set one and a block by Olivia Roland and Paula Okrutna helped Pitt reach set point, 26-25. However, UNK got kills from three different players to take the set and the momentum.

After hitting .317 in the first set with 17 kills, Pitt recorded only 16 kills the rest of the way and ended the match with a .175 hitting efficiency.

UNK broke a three all tie in the second set with a 7-3 run that featured two kills by Massanet. Subsequently, the Gorillas called timeout and weren't a threat the rest of the night.

Pesavento reached her kill total in just 36 attempts with three errors (.472 attack pct.). Her previous career-high in kills was 17, set in last year's NCAA Tournament loss to Colorado Mines and in a 2010 loss to Metro Sate.

Massanet hit even a higher percentage (.562) as she had nine kills in 16 swings with no errors.  UNK also got 10 kills from junior middle Katie Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) and senior Jenna Rouzee (GI Northwest) handed out 44 assists, dug up eight balls, recorded two blocks and had six kills.

The Lopers host Hastings (Sept. 19th) and Doane (Sept. 25th) the next two weeks.