Skip To Main Content

University of Nebraska - Kearney Athletics

Anna Squiers & Lindsay Nottlemann
Corbey R. Dorsey
1
Rockhurst Rock 33-8
3
Winner Nebraska-Kearney UNK 38-0
Rockhurst Rock
33-8
1
Final
3
Nebraska-Kearney UNK
38-0
Winner
Set Scores
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Rockhurst Rock 23 26 22 19 (1)
Nebraska-Kearney UNK 25 24 25 25 (3)

Game Recap: Volleyball |

LOPER VOLLEYBALL TO PLAY FOR A NATTY

Kearney, Neb. – Junior middle Anna Squiers had a career-high 19 kills, senior outside Julianne Jackson had her 19th double double and second-ranked Nebraska-Kearney had 14 blocks to down 19th-ranked Rockhurst (-23, 24-26, -22, -15) in a National Semifinal match Friday night in Denver.

The Lopers (38-0) will play for the 2019 NCAA Division II National Championship on Saturday at 6 p.m. Top-seed and No. 1 ranked Cal State San Bernardino (32-0) beat fourth-seed and No. 11 Regis on the other side of the bracket. The only previous meeting between UNK and San Bernardino came in the 2004 Elite Eight, a UNK win in Miami. 

"We are thrilled to be moving on. I thought we played really hard and played great defense. Congratulations to Rockhurst on an unbelievable season. They had a great effort on their side of the net and they played great defense as well," UNK head coach Rick Squiers said. "I hope we go for it (playing Saturday). Come out and attack and have fun and enjoy the moment. Play at our level and if I think we do that we'll have our chances."

To reach its second national title match in program history and beat Rockhurst (33-8) for a second time this season, UNK managed to slow down a powerful Hawk offense. RU finished with 33 attack errors (19 unforced and 14 blocked) and saw the Lopers dig up 92 balls including 29 in the fourth set. That led to just a .140 (61-33-200) hitting efficiency for a squad among the national leaders in that category. 

"It was one of those matches where it was really hard to get a kill. I could not have more respect for Coach Rietzke and his program and the way his kids played and handled themselves," Squiers said. 
Anna Squiers
UNK cranked up its offense as the night went along, having 18 of its 59 kills in the third and logging at least 13 in each set. Hitting .208, the Lopers got kills from seven different players but saw Squiers and Jackson (20) cause the most damage with each hitting well over .300.  

Some early RU unforced attack miscues helped UNK grab a 13-8 lead in the first set. The Lopers later led 18-13 and 21 16 but the Hawks didn't go away, going on a 5-1 run to knot things up at 23. However, Kearney grabbed a 1-0 match lead on the strength of one of those 19 unforced errors and a block by senior middle Josie Cox (North Platte) and junior setter Madison Squiers (Kearney Catholic).

The second was a flip of the first and RU led almost the entire way but UNK hung around and tied things up at 23 on a kill by junior right side Mary Katherine Wolfe (Omaha Marian). She was then involved in a "video review" play as her apparent pancake led to an RU error and UNK's first lead of the set. However, the review overturned the call. The Lopers fought off set point and had a couple of good swings to win the set but the Hawks dug up those balls and then used a kill and UNK error to win 26-24.

"This is how we play. We found ways to get kills even though sometimes it took a few swings. We played really great defense, controlled the ball a little bit better than yesterday and put just enough pressure on them from the service line that eliminated some options. We also had a pretty good blocking performance," Squiers said. 

Another tied set followed with back-to-back kills by Anna Squiers giving UNK some breathing room at 20-15. A rare solo block by Wolfe made it 22-17 and it seemed like the Blue & Gold was in control But the Rangers went on a 5-1 run to force UNK to call timeout. The break worked as Jackson smashed home a kill and Madison Squiers and Cox combined for another stuff.

"There were some rallies where we made some unbelievable defensive plays and I think that wares on somebody. They do everything right, get a great swing and it's still not a kill," Squiers said. 

2019 NCAA Volleyball ChampionshipFinally Kearney rolled in the fourth, roaring out to a 9-5 lead and then ahead 21-12 before a semi-Hawk run. Fittingly an Anna Squiers ended the night.

Defensively for the Lopers Jackson had 19 digs, making this her 18th double double of the fall, with Wolfe at 18 and sophomore libero Lindsay Nottlemann at 19. Next Madison Squiers had 14 as well as five block assists with Cox (seven) and Anna Squiers (six) combing for 13 stuffs.

Rockhurst All-American outside Karli Reichert had 13 kills in 55 swings but also 11 errors (.036 pct.) with senior outside Alyssa Woodman having the same type of night (15-9-47; .128 pct.). Sophomore middle Justice Wingate had the most efficient effort, having 10 kills, seven blocks and hitting .429.


 


 
Gallery: (9/24/2019) Final Four Volleyball

 
 
 
 
Print Friendly Version