Box Score 1 | Box Score 2 Kearney, Neb. - The 3rd-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team beat former RMAC rival Metro State in three sets and loss to 11th-ranked Angelo State (Texas) in four sets Friday at the Colorado Premier Challenge in Denver.

UNK (6-1) plays former MIAA member Truman (Mo.) State Saturday at 1:00 p.m. Central. Last fall, the 1th-ranked Bulldogs (4-2) handed the Lopers one of its' three losses. Based on that result, Kearney will play another match in the evening. Go HERE for complete schedule and information.

Freshman middle Bailey Sokolowski helped UNK bounce back from the loss to the Belles (4-0) by recording 11 kills in a sweep of Metro (-17, -17, -18).
 
Now 35-17 all-time against their former RMAC rival, UNK hit .291 against the Roadrunners while serving up five aces and getting seven blocks at the net.
 
Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic H.S.) reached her kill total in 20 swings, committing just two errors along the way for a sparkling .450 attack percentage.
 
Three other Lopers had between eight and nine kills, including junior Liz McGowan (G.I. Central Catholic H.S.). Normally UNK's libero, McGowan played outside hitter the majority of the day and finished with nine kills and seven digs against the 'Runners.
 
Defensively, junior Steph Brand (G.I. Central Catholic) had a team-best 12 digs with sophomore setter Erin Seele (Johnstown, Colo.) having four blocks, two of the solo variety.

Earlier in the day, sophomore outside Arielle Bond had a team-high 15 kills to pace a balanced offensive attack as Angelo won in four sets (-20, 11-25, -16, -16) over the Lopers.

Angelo busted open the match in the third set with a 8-3 run that broke a 10 all tie. In the fourth set, they used an 11-3 spurt to snap a nine all tie.

A member of the Lone Star Conference, ASU got kills from 11 different players with Bond being one four Belles with six or more. Hitting just .191 as a team, Angelo had slight advantages in kills, digs and blocks while recording six more services aces than the Lopers.
 
UNK got 16 kills from senior outside Ashley Leitner (Lincoln SW) and saw senior middle Ellie Pesavento (Omaha Marian) have 10 kills and team-highs in hitting percentage (.375) and blocks (five).
 
The Lopers came in with a .148 attack percentage, committing 23 errors in 162 swings. Fourteen of those miscues were of the unforced variety.
 
Defensively, junior DS Molly O'Brien (Overland Park, Kans.) had 18 digs with sophomore MJ Massanet (Manhattan, Kans.) returning to the court and providing 17 digs. UNK's starting right side, Massanet still isn't healthy enough to play offense.