Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Outside hitters Ashley Leitner and MJ Massanet had another big night to help the 7th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team defeat Central Oklahoma in four sets (-19, -22, 24-26, -16) Saturday night in Edmond.
 
UNK (24-3, 10-2) goes 3-0 on the week while a young Bronchos squad falls to 19-8 (7-6) and sees a modest three-match win streak come to an end.
 
After combining for 41 kills in Friday's 3-2 win at Pittsburg State, Leitner (Lincoln SW) and Massanet (Manhattan, Kans.) upped the ante tonight, going for 45 to help stave off a UCO squad that hit a solid .261.
 
Leitner finished with 22 kills and committed just four errors in 58 swings (.310). Massanet, meanwhile, had 23 kills and 15 digs to post her 10th double double of the fall. She also was efficient, having six errors in 46 attempts (.370).
 
Having 18 more kills than the Bronchos, 74-56, the Lopers led the first set most of the way but trailed 16-15 in the second.
 
A 4-1 spurt, capped by a block by Bailey and Katie Sokolowski, gave UNK the lead for good and forced UCO to call timeout. The Lopers closed out the set by getting a kill from Bailey and seeing UCO commit an unforced error.
 
UCO, which started the year 10-0, rebounded in a big way. They erased deficits of 17-10, 23-21 and 24-22 to win the third set by two points.
 
Facing match point, the Bronchos scored four straight, two coming off blocks by Juliette Smith and Sabetha Young and the other two being Loper hitting errors.
 
Kearney quickly grabbed back the momentum, jumping out to a 5-0 lead in the final set. UCO did get within three points, 10-7, but UNK countered with three points of their own to force the Bronchos to call another timeout.
 
Besides Leitner and Massanet, Katie Sokolowski had 13 kills, seven digs and hit .367 with Omaha freshman Annie Wolfe having 11 digs and two aces.
 
UNK hosts Emporia State Tuesday night.