Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 8th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney got 39 kills from a trio of freshmen to beat Missouri Western State in four sets (20-25, -8, -17, 21) Saturday night at the Health & Sports Center.

The Lopers (16-2, 8-2) are now in a four-way tie for second along with the Griffons (14-4, 8-2), Central Missouri and Central Oklahoma.

Dominating the box score, UNK still was almost taken to five sets by a veteran Griffon team. In the fourth set, the Lopers were down 20-18 after hitting one into the net.

Kearney responded with a 5-0 spurt that featured two kills by freshman outside LaRose Currie (Vail, Colo.) and two kills from freshman middle Tara Ziegelbein (Lincoln Lutheran). Western got a kill from Erica Rottinghaus to stop the bleeding but another Currie kill put UNK at match point. The night ended with the Griffons 29th and final attack error.

UNK had 17 more kills, 61-44, as well as 15 more digs, 76-61. For a second straight night, Kearney was strong at the net, finishing with 12.0 team blocks. Finally, the Lopers hit .261 and held MWSU to a .094 effort. That was greatly helped in a second set blitz in which the Griffons hit -.118 (6-10-34).

Currie led the way with a team-high 16 kills. She also had nine digs and three blocks (two solo). Next, Ziegelbein had 11 kills, five digs and four blocks while freshman outside Caitlin Broadwell (Lawrence, Kans.) supplied 12 kills and two blocks.

Among non-freshmen, sophomore middle Bailey Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) had nine kills, hit .533 and had a team-best five blocks with senior libero Liz McGowan (G.I. Central Catholic) digging up a match-high 28 balls.

In the record books, junior right side Kelle Carver (Shawnee Mission, Kans.) had nine kills, pushing her career total 1,001. She amassed 819 of those kills the past three years at Cameron (Okla.) University.

Rottinghaus led Western with 16 kills and eight digs.

First-place Washburn stops by Tuesday ngiht.