Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Senior middle hitter Ellie Pesavento became the 24th member of the 1,000 career kill club as 7th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney managed to beat rival Fort Hays State in four sets (-13, 22-25, -18, -11) Tuesday night at Gross Memorial Coliseum in Kansas.
 
The Lopers (22-3, 8-2) push its winning streak to four straight while the Tigers (12-13, 3-8) see a six-match win streak come to an end.
 
UNK led the first set from start to finish and then held a seemingly comfortable 16-11 advantage in the second set after an unforced error by the Tigers.
 
However, Hays roared back, going on an 11-3 run that featured three kills and two aces. UNK did tie things at 21, only to see the Tigers score four of the next five points, the last being on a kill by Taylor Mares (team-high 13 kills).
 
Kearney then got into a hole, falling behind 7-2 in the third set. After a timeout, the Lopers rolled the rest of the night, outscoring Hays 48-22.
 
Pesavento (Omaha Marian) had three kills in the second set and four more in the second. Her 1,000th kill gave UNK a 6-5 lead in the fourth set and she added one more for good measure.
 
Hitting a season-high .529, Pesavento didn't have a single error in 17 swings. She is the sixth middle since 2001 to reach four figures in kills, following Kelli Brummer ('01), Erin Broz ('05), Erin Gudmundson ('05), Nikki Scott ('09) and Jeri Walkowiak ('10).
 
As a team, UNK out hit the Tigers by more than 200 points, .264 to .057. Besides Pesavento, sophomore outside MJ Massaent (15), senior middle Katie Sokolowski (12) and senior outside Ashley Leitner (10) had at least 10 kills.
 
Like Pesavento, Sokolowski was efficient, hitting .400. Defensively, Massanet (Manhattan, Kans.) dug up a season-best 24 balls with junior Liz McGowan (G.I. Central Catholic) getting to 19 and freshman DS Kadie Baumgardner (Auburn, Kans.) having 10.
 
Finally, sophomore setter Erin Seele had 47 assists, six digs, five kills, four blocks and two aces.
 
UNK is at Pittsburg State and Central Oklahoma this weekend.