Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Freshman outside Kinslie TeKolste had a season-high 16 kills as the 11th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team held off 8th-ranked Washburn in four sets (-15, 22-25, -21, -22) Friday night in an MIAA Tournament semifinal match in Warrensburg, Mo.
 
The Lopers (28-5) will play either 5th-ranked Central Missouri or Central Oklahoma for the tourney title tomorrow night at seven.
 
Last week, UNK fell to Washburn (31-5) in five sets at home and then lost on the road to UCM. After a tough sweep of Missouri Western on Tuesday, Kearney changed its line up a bit tonight. 
 
TeKolste (Lincoln SE), who played extensively early in the fall, shook off some rust and provided some pop form the outside. She took 60 swings, the most by a Loper this season, while also having six digs and three blocks.
 
As a team, UNK had 11 stuffs, helping limit Washburn to a .100 hitting efficiency. The Lopers hit 95 points higher as they had nine more kills, 58-49 and 10 fewer errors, 30-20.
 
Hitting .406 (15-2-42) to easily win the first set, UNK led 15-12 in the second after a kill be TeKolste. However, Washburn came back to take a 19-17 lead on a kill by Sarah Vicory.  

The Lopers called timeout but never got the lead back and a kill by Marissa Cox (team-high 13) tied the match at one.
 
Kearney hit just .068 (11-8-44) in the third set but Washburn had 10 errors and nine errors to come in below zero. The Lopers got out to leads of 4-1, 12-9 and 18-13, forcing the 'Bods to use both timeouts.
 
UNK had five of its blocks in this set with TeKolste and senior middle Katie Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) having solo efforts. Washburn did score three straight after getting behind 24-18 but a service error ended the unlikely comeback effort.
 
The Lopers used an 11-4 run in the fourth set to seemingly build a comfortable 17-10 cushion. Senior outside Ashley Leitner (Lincoln SW) had three of her 13 kills in this stretch with senior middle Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian) recording two.
 
Like the two previous sets, Washburn came back, tying things up at 20 and 21. However, UNK scored three of the final four points, the last being a kill by Sokolowski.
 
To reach her kill total, Leitner hit .375 with Sokolowski having 12 kills and four blocks. Next, Pesavento had five kills and a team-best five blocks with sophomore setter Erin Seele (Johnstown, Colo.) at 43 assists, 10 digs and three kills.  

In the backrow, Grand Island junior Liz McGowan dug up 27 balls.
 
Besides Cox, Washburn got 12 kills, four digs and three blocks from Corrine Stringer.