Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 12th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team closed the third set on a 13-6 run to sweep Missouri Western State (-15, -17, -25) Saturday night at the Health & Sports Center.

This was a key Central Regional match as UNK (25-5, 13-3) came in ranked eighth and the Griffons (20-7, 11-4) ninth.

MWSU was short-handed as kill leader Jessica Thorup suffered a season-ending injury last night in the first set at Fort Hays State. The Griffons managed to rally for a 3-2 win but didn't lead tonight until the third set.

The Lopers hit .400 (14-2-30) to roll in the first set and then had 15 kills to take the second by eight points. However, the Griffons regrouped after the eight-minute break.

Having 16 of its 39 kills in the final stanza, Mo West held leads of 7-1, 13-9 and 19-14 before Kearney made a move. A service ace from Omaha junior Annie Wolfe and a kill from sophomore middle Tara Ziegelbein cut the deficit to one, 19-18, and forced the Griffons to call a timeout.

The run continued, however, with a kill by senior setter Erin Seele (Johnstown, Colo.) helping UNK reach match point, 24-22. But, MWSU scored three straight, the last coming on a block by Rachel Friedrichs and Shellby Taylor.

Kearney responded with its own 3-0 spurt, getting a solo block from Yutan sophomore outside Kaitlynn Thomas and back-to-back aces from Kearney freshman defensive specialist Morgan Stute.

"We caught a bit of a break with their top hitter being out but they are still a good team," said UNK head coach Rick Squiers. "I don't know what it is about being up 2-0. We started trading errors and they got into a bit of a rhythm. There is something about this team; they can come from behind and can play under pressure. We had to do that at the end."

Ziegelbein had 10 kills and no errors in 16 swings to hit a match-high .625 with Wolfe having eight kills, seven digs and two blocks. Besides 35 assists and seven digs, Seele had five kills in nine attempts to hit .556.

Five Griffons were between five and nine kills, led by Taylor (nine).

UNK is at No. 3 Wayne State Tuesday night. The Wildcats (23-4) lost in four-sets to No. 1 Concordia-St. Paul on Friday night but rebounded to seep Minnesota State-Mankato this afternoon.