Week 7 Preview: First Battles with the Gorillas and Lions

10/17/2019 4:44:00 PM

Kearney, Neb. – The third-ranked Nebraska-Kearney volleyball team looks to keep the hits on coming when it heads to Missouri Southern State and Pittsburg State this weekend.

The Lopers (18-0, 9-0), fresh off a home sweep of No. 4 Washburn Tuesday night, are just one of four unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA Division II. UNK has now tied the 2012 and 1982 squads for the fourth best start in school history; three wins in a five-day span will vault the team into third place.

The match at Pitt State (10-9, 3-6) begins at six Friday night with a quick rebound needed for Saturday as the Mo Southern (9-9, 4-5) match starts at high noon. Check the Loper volleyball schedule page for media links.

UNK is a combined 68-11 all-time vs. the Lions and Gorillas but both programs are on the upswing. Mo Southern lost in five sets (-17, 12-25, -22, 20-25, 12-15) to Washburn last Friday night while the Lopers have always had trouble in Pitt's John Lance Arena. Last year Kearney won in five, thanks to a 15-13 score in the final set, while needing to take the last two sets to win in five in 2014.

One of 10 Central Region teams in the nation's top 13 this week, the Lopers are averaging 13.8 kills, 20.2 digs, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 aces per set while hitting .257. Those numbers are among the best in the MIAA with the dig average ranking second nationally behind only North Carolina's Mars Hill College (21.5).

Individually Kansas senior outside Julianne Jackson is sitting at 99 career service aces. Since 1995 only nine Lopers have reached triple figures in career aces with the other outsides in that small group being UNK Athletic Hall of Famer Erin Arnold ('04), Kim Brummer ('99) and Jodi Armknecht ('98). The all-around Jackson is currently tied for second on UNK in aces (18) while leading in kills (178) and ranking second in digs (213) and third in blocks (28).

Position mate Sami Mauch (North Platte) has had the hot hand of late, recording 38 kills the past five matches. That included a season-high 15 Tuesday night with 10 of those coming in the third and final set. Impressively Mauch delivered five straight kills to score UNK's final five points in the match. Coming back from injury, the redshirt freshman has 64 kills in 26 sets (2.64) and is conveniently hitting .264.

The Emporia State Hornets (5-12, 1-8) come to town Tuesday night with Kearney then facing Central Oklahoma and Newman on the road next weekend.

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