Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. – The 2nd-anked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team swept Maryville (-9, -14, -14) and beat Northern State (-17, 19-25, -16, -22) in four sets Friday at the New Victorian Inn & Suites/Runza Fall Classic at the Health & Sports Center.
 
UNK improves to 5-0 and, with a win over No. 13 Minnesota State tomorrow at noon, could move into the nation's top spot. Five-time defending national champ Concordia-St. Paul lost to unranked West Florida, 3-1, Friday in Denver.

The Lopers have spent 19 weeks in the No. 1 spot, the last time being November 21, 2005.
 
A young Northern squad (4-2) upset NSIC rival MSU this morning and gave the Lopers everything they wanted tonight. 
 
UNK led the first set most of the way as they pounded home 15 kills and hit .286. However, the Wolves returned the favor in the next set as they controlled things, getting out an 8-5 lead and never allowing the Lopers to make a serious run.

In this set, Northern recorded 14 kills to UNK's 10 with the Lopers also having six hitting errors.
 
Kearney regained the momentum in the third stanza, using a 10-6 run to open up a 19-14 lead and force the Wolves to call a timeout. This stretch saw senior setter Jenna Rouzee (GI Northwest) and junior middle Katie Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) each record two kills.
 
The Lopers also pulled away from Northern at the same point in the last set, erasing a 10-9 deficit with an 11-3 outburst. Junior middle Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian) had back-to-back kills with freshman reserve setter Erin Seele (Johnstown, Colo.) providing a service ace. Northern did come back and make it 24-22 but a kill by Sokolowski ended the match.
 
Overall, UNK had 12 more kills, 60-48, and eight more digs, 74-66, than Northern while also taking advantage of 10 service errors.  Sokolowski and senior outside Ariel Krolikowski (Grand Island) each had 15 kills with Pesavento providing 14 and hitting a team-best .333. Defensively, Krolikowski had a team-high 21 digs and Rouzee had a team-best four blocks.
 
Kelsey Chambers and Macey Finizio each had 11 kills to pace NSU.
 
Against the Maryville Saints (1-6), UNK hit .330 and saw five different players have between six and nine kills. Senior libero Kaleigh Anderson (Lincoln SW) had a team-high 20 digs with sophomore outside Liz McGowan (GI Central Catholic) at eight kills, 15 digs and a .533 attack percentage.
 
Action starts tomorrow at 10:00 a.m.
 
Other Tournament Scores
Northern State 3, # 13 Minnesota State 1(-17, 22-25, -24, -19)
# 13 Minnesota State 3, St. Cloud State 1 (-20, -8, 22-25, -23)
Truman State 3, St. Cloud State 0 (-14, 13-25, -22, -22)
Truman State 3, Maryville 0 (-11, -16, -18)