Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 4th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team used a balanced offensive attack and got a big effort from reserve LaRose Currie to slip past Fort Hays State (-11, 23-25, -20, 15-25, -12) Tuesday night at the Health & Sports Center.
 
A crowd of 1,511 watched this MIAA opener for both teams. UNK improves to 9-0 while the Tigers fall to 5-4.
 
With sophomore Kinslie TeKolste (Lincoln SE) sidelined, Currie (Vail, Colo.) was asked to fill a void on the outside. She responded with 12 kills, including the final one of the night.
 
In the fifth and deciding set, UNK moved ahead for good after back-to-back kills by sophomore middle Katie Weber (Greeley, Colo.) made it 7-5. Hays hung around as a kill by lefty Mallory Flagor made it 11-10. Currie responded with her first kill of the set and then the Tigers committed an unforced error.
 
After a Tiger timeout, junior setter Erin Seele (Johnstown, Colo.) took a pass from sophomore libero Kadie Baumgardner (Auburn, Kans.) and recorded her seventh and final kill. The scrappy Tigers clawed back, getting kills from Flagor and Teresa Wade to make things very interesting at 14-12.

However, on a scramble, Currie managed a kill with the unlikely assist going to Weber.
 
UNK recorded seven more kills, 63-56, and also hit 22 points higher, .180 to .158, than the Tigers. Both teams dug up 74 balls with Hays having five more team blocks, 9-4.
 
Sophomore middle Bailey Sokolowski (Kearney Catholic) had four of her career-high 14 kills in the third set and finished the night hitting .281. Next to her, Weber hit a team-high .296 with 12 kills, three digs, two blocks and two assists.
 
From the right side, junior southpaw Keller Carver (Shawnee Mission, Kans.) had 13 kills, including a teeth-shattering one in the fifth set that made it 10-8. Finally, besides the seven kills, Seele had 50 assists and 17 digs
 
Hays got 11 kills from both Rebekah Spainhour and Flagor with Raymond native Callie Christensen at nine kills and six blocks.
 
UNK hosts unbeaten Central Oklahoma (11-0) Friday night and Missouri Southern State Saturday at noon