Kearney, Neb. – The third-ranked Nebraska Kearney volleyball team opens the 2017 season with four matches this weekend in Hawaii.

This will be UNK's fourth trip to "Paradise" since 2004. The Lopers went a combined 10-1 in the three previous trips to the islands with a 3-2 victory at Hawaii Pacific in 2004 among the most memorable in the Rick Squiers era (1999-present). 

Due to the five-hour time difference, UNK will play three matches Saturday (12 a.m., 4 p.m. and 9 p.m.) and one Sunday (5 p.m.). Fans can follow the action with live stats from Chaminade and HPU; the final three matches of the weekend are hosted by HPU.

The Lopers will first face the Chaminade Silverswords and then the Hawaii Pacific Sharks, Seattle Pacific (Wash.) Falcons and the 8th-ranked Lewis (Ill.) University Flyers. The match at Chaminade will also have a live internet radio broadcast. 

UNK is 1-1 all-time vs. CU, losing 3-1 in a 2006 match played in Alaska and then sweeping the 'Swords on their home court two years later.

Picked sixth out of 14 teams in the Pac West Conference (PWC) preseason poll,

Chaminade features two six-footers on its 2017 roster. Sixth-year head coach Kahala Kabalis Hoke saw her team go 16-13 (10-10 PWC) last fall.

Texan Emma Tecklenburg, a 5-11 sophomore outside, is the top returning offensive player (2.18 kills per set) with setters Skyler Curry (5.87 assists per set) and Hannah Baker (4.17 aps) part of a three-player rotation at the position last fall. Among the newcomers are five freshmen and 6-2 junior college transfer Brooke Bell.

Hawaii Pacific, which is 1-2 all-time vs. UNK, was tabbed ninth in the PWC preseason poll. They went 17-12 (13-7) in 2016, beating CU in five sets to close out the season.

Second-year head coach Jenic Tumaneng returns the majority of his roster, including all-conference selections Lea Felton (1.74 kills & 0.7 blocks per set) and Amanda Acosta (3.94 digs per set). Felton is a 6-2 senior middle with Acosta 5-6 sophomore libero.

Top player Pomai Recca (4.27 kills & 3.58 digs per set) must be replaced with the newcomers including six-foot junior college outside Chandler Lippincott.

The Lopers suffered a 3-1 setback at SPU back in 2005. That match was played on the Falcons home court and was the only regular season loss by Kearney that year. Last fall, SPU went 11-17 (7-13 Great Northwest Athletic Conference). They were picked eighth out of 11 teams in the GNAC preseason coaches' poll.

Five-nine sophomore outside Gabby Oddo led the Falcons in both kills (3.41) and digs (3.34) last season to earn all-league honors. She'll be joined in the starting lineup by 6-2 middle Shaun Crespi (1.42 bps) and juninor libero Amanda Ganete (4.82 dps).

Finally, UNK and Lewis have never met in volleyball. The Flyers, from suburban Chicago, have become a recent Top 25 mainstay and are coming off a 29-8 season in which they advanced to the Final Four. They fell to Concordia-St. Paul in three sets in a national semifinal match. During the regular season, LU beat Central Region power Southwest Minnesota State in four sets.

Like the Lopers, most of the Flyers return including three players – Elizabeth Hyland, Aly Schneider and Maddie Seliga -- that averaged at least 3.00 kps. A 5-11 junior outside, Hyland also averaged over 3.00 digs per set to be named an AVCA honorable mention All-American.

Prior to Sunday's match, Lewis will face Colo.-Colo. Springs and Chaminade.

While UNK has to replace Division II Player of the Year Annie Wolfe (3.08 kills, 3.04 digs, 0.80 assists and 0.69 blocks per set), fellow All-Americans Lindsey Smith (Dakota Dunes, S.D.) and Tara Ziegelbein (Lincoln Lutheran) return. Smith has exactly 2,200 assists (11.5 per set) in her career with Ziegelbein being a career .334 hitter.

Next, senior Kaitlynn Thomas (Yutan) and juniors Ellie McDonnell (Papillion-LaVista), Kendall Schroer (Ogallala) and Morgan Stute (Kearney Catholic) have all been named All-MIAA in their careers with middle Mackenzie Puckett (Grand Island) the 2016 MIAA and Central Region Freshman of the Year.

A large newcomer class features right side Anna Squiers (Kearney Catholic), middle Madison Stearnes (Millard South), outside/defensive specialist Mary Katherine Wolfe (Omaha Marian) and graduate transfer Emma Schroer (Ogallala).

UNK returns home on Labor Day and then has five home matches over three days next weekend.