Box Score Kearney, Neb. – The 14th-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team got a combined 31 kills from outside hitters Skyler Erickson and Kaitlynn Thomas to sweep Emporia State (-14, -30, -23) Saturday night in Kansas.

UNK (12-3, 2-1) bounces back from a Friday night loss at No. 7 Washburn and is now 275-28 (90.8 win pct) in regular season league play since 2000.

Hitting .269 and recording nine more kills than the Hornets, UNK controlled the first set but the final two featured six lead changes and 19 ties.

Emporia led the majority of the way in the second, eventually reaching set point at 24-22. UNK scored the next two, the second being a block by Erickson and sophomore middle Tara Ziegelbein (Lincoln Lutheran H.S.).

UNK had to fight off five more set points, finally moving ahead 30-29 after kills by Thomas (Yutan) and Erickson (Greeley). Kills by Erickson and Tara Ziegelbein ended the set, one of longest in the rally scoring era for a Loper squad.

The Hornets (6-6, 1-2) didn't go away, however, grabbing a 23-21 lead in the third set. But, Kearney closed on a 4-0 run, highlighted by two more Erickson kills.

Thomas had eight of her match-high 17 kills in the second set. Hitting a team-best .424, she also two blocks and two digs. Erickson, with a season-best 14 kills, had six kills in both the second and third sets and also dug up nine balls.

On the right side, junior Annie Wolfe (Omaha Marian H.S.) had 14 digs, 11 kills and hit .391. Finally, Papillion freshman libero Ellie McDonnell had a Loper-best 15 digs.

Emporia was led by junior Shayla Cotman, who hit .429 and ended with a team-best 12 kills. Five others were between five and seven kills with libero Kelly Holden recording 24 digs.  

UNK is at Lindenwood Friday night and nationally-ranked Central Missouri on Saturday.