Kearney, Neb. – The 8th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team will play three matches over two days this weekend just outside New York City.

The only other recent trip out East, for any Loper team, came in 2002 when volleyball played an early season tournament in West Virginia.

On Friday, the Lopers (15-2) meet the very appropriately named Pace Setters in Pleasantville, N.Y.  The next day, UNK travels just up the road to West Haven, Conn., to face the Merrimack College (Mass.) Warriors and the U. of New Haven (Conn.) Chargers.

The match against Pace University (3-13) begins Friday at 6:00 p.m. Central. Live stats and a live video stream (not America One) are available.

A member of the Northeast 10 Conference, the Setters have lost seven in a row. The 10-player roster features three Californians and freshman Ashley DiFulvio from Lakewood, Colo.
 
She leads in kills (2.34) and is second in digs (2.50) despite being 5-6 and listed as a libero/DS. The other Setter to watch is Alyssa Marchino, a 5-7 senior who is at a team-best 3.52 digs per set.
 
Live stats and live video (not America One) are available for both matches Satuday. Note Merrimack and UNH play each other to start the day.
 
The Warriors (7-7), from North Andover, Mass., are also members of the Northeast 10 Conference. Heading into Saturday, Merrimack has won four in a row and six of seven.
 
To start the year, the Warriors were swept by RMAC members Adams State and Western New Mexico as well as NSIC-member Minnesota-Crookston. The 15-member roster includes two Colorado natives as well as three Californians.
 
A 6-0 junior outside, Stephanie Sheehan is among the D2 kill leaders, currently at 4.06 per set.  To reach that total, she is hitting .240 while also providing 2.15 digs per set on defense.
 
Always one of the top programs on the East Coast, UNH (11-3) went 30-2 in 2012, reaching the Elite 8 and winning the Northeast 10 with a 15-0 record.
 
This fall, another solid Charger team is riding a six-match winning streak heading into Saturday's action. A unique roster features four Coloradoans, two Hawaiians as well as players from Florida, Montana and the Virgin Islands.
 
Six-four senior middle Amber Cannady, a 2012 AVCA honorable mention All-American, leads at 3.58 kills and 1.48 blocks per set while hitting .370.

Senior middle Ashley Dalton (2.17 kps & .310 attack pct.), a transfer from Division I Northern Arizona, is one of four other Chargers over 1.50 kills per set with sophomore libero Kea-Mari Olaso at a team-best 5.02 digs per set.

UNK, getting healthier by the day, saw the return of senior middle Ellie Pesavento in Tuesday night's 3-0 win over 15th-ranked Wayne State.

Missing the last three weeks, Pesavento needs just 34 more kills to become the 24th Loper with 1,000 kills in a career. She'll also be the fifth middle since 2000 to reach that milestone.

Since moving back into an offensive role last weekend (11 total sets), sophomore MJ Massanet is averaging 4.09 kills and 3.91 digs per set while hitting .374. That included a 25-kill performance at Washburn; the school-record for kills in a match is 31.

As a team, the Lopers in the nation's in Top 25 in four categories; attack percentage (.276), assists (13.58), kills (14.38) and digs (17.94) per set.

Next week, UNK has just one match, a Saturday date at Lindenwood in suburban St. Louis.