Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 7th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team hit  .287 and went on a big run in the second and third sets to sweep Missouri Western State (-24, -19, -11) Saturday night in St. Joseph, Mo.
 
UNK (25-3, 17-3) remains in a first place tie while the Griffons slip to 21-7 (15-5).
 
The first set featured 15 ties and six lead changes with the Lopers reaching set point thanks to a Griffon service error.
 
After Western tied things up at 24, sophomore middle Katie Weber (Greeley, Colo.) recorded a kill and then she and Omaha sophomore Annie Wolfe combined for a block to give the set to the Lopers.
 
On "Senior Night", MWSU bounced back nicely in the second set as they erased a 4-1 deficit in the second set to lead 10-5 and 18-14.
 
But the match changed from that point on as Kearney closed the set on an 11-1 run and then opened the third set with a 17-4 spurt. Earlier this year in Kearney, UNK beat Western 25-8 in a set. Tonight's big run finished out at 28-5.
 
While no Loper had a double digit kill total, six different players had at least five. That group included Weber, middle Bailey Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) and freshman outsides Kaitlynn Thomas (Yutan) and LaRose Currie (Vail, Colo.).
 
Defensively, UNK had four of its seven team blocks in the third set. Sokolowski finished with six with junior right side Kelle Carver (Shawnee Mission, Kans.) providing three.

Finally, Colorado junior setter Erin Seele had 37 assists, a team-high 12 digs, and five kills in five attempts.
 
Erica Rottinghaus led Western with 13 kills and 10 digs.
 
UNK is at Emporia State and Washburn next weekend.