Kearney, Neb. - After an undefeated weekend in Hawaii, the 2nd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team hosts its annual fall classic this weekend at the Health & Sports Center.

The New Victorian Inn & Suites/Runza Fall Classic also features 13th-ranked Minnesota State (4-0), MIAA-member Truman State (3-1), Northern State (3-1), St. Cloud State (3-1) and Maryville U., Mo. (1-4).

Live stats will be available for Thursday night's UNK-SCSU match, every match on Friday and for two matches on Saturday (TSU-NSU & UNK-MSU). For a price, fans can also watch the action on America One (Loper matches only). Finally, KGFW AM 1340 will broadcast the St. Cloud match live. 

To see the complete tournament schedule, go HERE.

UNK (3-0) currently ranks first in the MIAA in hitting percentage (.297) and digs per set (19.90) while being second in kills (15.20) and assists (14.10).

Individually, junior middle Ellie Pesavento leads the MIAA in attack percentage (.443) with senior setter Jenna Rouzee (11.00) first in assists and junior libero Kaleigh Anderson first in digs (6.20).
Also, senior outside Ariel Krolikowski leads the Lopers in kills (3.90) and junior middle Katie Sokolowski is fourth in the league in attack percentage (.421) while averaging 3.00 kps.

On Thursday night, the tourney opens with UNK taking on the SCSU Huskies.

St. Cloud, which posted a 6-22 (2-18 NSIC) record last year, went 3-1 at Upper Iowa's Tournament last weekend. They lost in five sets to NSIC rival Upper Iowa but beat South Dakota Mines in five sets.

Ellie Dietzen (2.75) and freshman right side Rachel Burke (2.69) are the offensive leaders with Dietzen, 6-2 junior middle, also at a team-best 1.00 bps.

The Lopers then face Maryville (12:00 p.m.) and NSU (6:00 p.m.) on Friday.

A relatively new D2 II school that is a member of the Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC), Maryville went 8-18 last year.

This fall, the St. Louis-based school lost all four of its matches at the Cal State-Monterey Bay Tournament.
The Saints did rebound with a 3-1 home win over D3 Principia College (Ill.) on Sept. 4th.

Six-foot junior middle Mikaela Lahm (3.67 kps) leads with sophomore libero Hannah Seitter at a team-best 4.67 dps.

Coming off a 13-14 (8-12 NSIC) campaign, Northern went 3-1 last week, only losing to MIAA-member Missouri Western State.

Sophomore middle Macey Finizio (4.00) and freshmen outsides Kelsey Chambers (3.33) and Jussy Tuscherer (3.30) are each averaging over 3.00 kps with Finizio and Tuscherer both hitting well over .280.

Junior libero Sami Nygaard (3.50 dps) paces the defense with the setter being freshman Drew Smith (11.27 assists per set).

Finally, the Lopers face the Mavericks Saturday at noon. A 2011 NCAA Tournament team that finished 20-9, Minnesota State went 4-0 at the Cal State-Monterey Bay Tournament, winning three matches in four sets.
Allowing the opposition just 9.93 kps so far, MSU's defense is averaging 2.60 bps with three players at 1.00 or more. Two Mavs are also over 3.00 dps, led by junior DS Kelli Elhardt (3.60).

A very balanaced offense is paced by senior outside Chelsea Forgarty (3.93) and senior Courtney Steinhauser (2.93 & .297 attack pct.)

UNK begins MIAA play next week with road dates at Fort Hays (9/11), Pitt State (9/14) and UCO (9/15).