Box Score Kearney, Neb. – Outside hitters Ashley Leitner and Liz McGowan combined for 25 kills to power the 5th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team to a sweep of Pittsburg State (-11, -21, -14) Friday night at the Health & Sports Center.
 
Now 27-3 all-time against the Gorillas, UNK improves to 10-1 (2-0 MIAA) while Pitt falls to 3-7 (0-2).
 
A 2012 first-team All-American as a libero, McGowan (G.I. Central Catholic) has been filling at one outside hitter spot the past couple of weeks due to the Lopers various ailments.  

She tied her career-high in kills (11) by the end of the second set and finished with 12 on a team-best .360 hitting percentage.
 
The MIAA leader in kills at 4.31 per set, Leitner (Lincoln SW) tallied four of her team-best 13 kills in the third set. Like McGowan, she dug up nine balls.
 
After rolling through the first set, UNK had to fight off Pitt in the second stanza. Getting out to a 10-4 lead, the Lopers found themselves down 17-16 after a kill by outside Crystal Whitten (team-high 10 kills).
 
Kearney responded in a big way, going on an 8-1 run that featured three kills by McGowan, two from senior middle Katie Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) and one by junior right side Steph Brand (G.I. Central Catholic).
 
The momentum stayed on the Blue and Gold's side as the Lopers got out to a 9-1 lead in the final set. Pitt didn't help itself by having eight unforced attack errors down the stretch.
 
Besides Leitner and McGowan, Sokolowski hit .318 and had 11 kills. Finally, Kansas sophomore libero MJ Massanet had a match-high 12 digs.

Central Oklahoma stops by tomorrow night at 7:00 p.m. The Bronchos improved to 10-0 (2-0) after beating Fort Hays State in four sets tonight in Kansas.