Kearney, Neb. - The top-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team will have a very challenging weekend as the Emporia State Hornets and 3rd-ranked Washburn Lady Blues come to town.

The ESU match starts at 6:00 p.m. Friday and the WU tilt starts at 4:00 p.m. Saturday afternoon.

Live stats and live video (for a price) will be available for both matches; a special live internet radio broadcast, at www.kgfw.com, is available for the Washburn match. Pre-game will start around 3:50 p.m.

The Hornets (9-4, 3-1) enter Friday leading the MIAA in team blocks (2.24 ps) and ranking second to the Lopers in digs per set (16.34).

Sweeping Division II member Newman (Kans.) Tuesday night, Emporia has already lost to  # 2 SW Minnesota State and Washburn and lost in five sets to both Upper Iowa and Northern Michigan.

Six-right sophomore right side Courtney Haring leads the league in blocks (1.25 ps) with senior libero Meg Schwartz at 5.07 digs per set, fourth highest in the MIAA.

A balanced offense is paced by six-foot junior middle Brianna Kaiser (2.71 kps) and sophomore outside Katie Deutschmann (2.24 kps & .255 atack pct.).

UNK swept the Hornets in 1999 and 2003 to grab a 31-7 all-time series lead.

The Lady Blues (12-0, 4-0), who play Fort Hays State Friday, rank first in the conference in opponent hitting percentage (.103) and are second, to UNK, in hitting percentage (.290), kills (14.21) and assists (13.64).

Washburn also is second in aces (1.62 ps) but ranks 10th in the conference in blocks (1.72) and is 12th in digs (15.03).

Senior middle/right side Jessica Fey, a 2011 honorable mention All-American and a Crete native, is hitting .405 and pounding home 3.37 kills per set. On the outside, senior Hillary Hughes is at 3.21 kps with junior setter Abby Wittman at 8.89 assists and 0.42 aces per set.

The Lopers beat Washburn, in four sets, at Rockhurt's 2007 tournament to lead the all-time series 26-8. Of note, former Loper All-American middle Jeri Walkowiak is in her second year as the Lady Blues graduate assistant coach.

UNK currently has two players, senior outside Ariel Krolikowski (3.49) and junior middle Katie Sokolowski (3.03), averaging over 3.00 kills per set. Sokolowski also leads the MIAA in attack percentage at an impressive .406.

Next, senior setter Jenna Rouzee entered the week leading the conference in assists (11.16) and is also hitting a solid .341 while providing 2.66 digs and 0.68 blocks per set on defense.

UNK steps out of the MIAA next weekend when it faces four teams from the newly formed GAC (Great American Conference) at the SBU Crossover Tournament in Bolivar, Mo.